“Modernise or Die” is the title of the Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model that was released in October which provided some uncomfortable reading, but echoed much of what BIM experts have been saying for time now. The report’s author, Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast, stated that: “The industry’s route map to collaboration and high-efficiency new delivery models can only be underpinned by BIM and the importance of its adoption cannot be overestimated.” He went on to say: “One could argue that the ‘stars are aligning’ and now is the time to allow the opportunities from digitisation to offset the risks of continued reliance on labour intensive techniques.”
I am certain that these statements are ‘old news’ for many readers of BIM Today, but the report has set out in clear terms that the construction industry must modernise or become “seriously debilitated.”
October 2016 also saw the release of the ‘The Future for Construction Product Manufacturing: Digitalisation, Industry 4.0 and the Circular Economy’ report from the Construction Products Association. It set out a number of recommendations to deliver sustainable growth in the construction product sector by harnessing the power of BIM, LEXiCON, smart manufacturing, and the emerging Internet of Things. We cover the report’s findings in this edition.
Our coverage of BIM again highlights the progress of digitisation for the construction industry. October is always a busy month with various annual conferences such as UK Construction Week, the ICE BIM conference and Digital Construction Week which see a gathering of like-minded people and the launching pad for new initiatives and projects.
Two important new initiatives were announced this month which are covered in the following pages; The UK BIM Alliance and Women in BIM.
Firstly, The UK BIM Alliance will provide the leadership for implementation of BIM Level 2 across UK industry, leaving the BIM Task Group to concentrate its efforts within government departments on the implementation of BIM Level 3 and Digital Built Britain. Dr Anne Kemp is leading the formation of the UK BIM Alliance as its Chair, and we cover her presentation that was delivered at ICE BIM 2016.
Secondly, Women in BIM was launched at Digital Construction Week attracting a good level of interest. We cover the aims of this group which is to draw attention to the low number of women in BIM related roles in AEC and to also provide encouragement and support. I would encourage all women, and men, to get involved so we can further a diverse working environment.
And finally, thanks to all contributors to this edition. Please feel free to get in touch anytime with any comments or ideas for future articles. I always look forward to hearing from you.
Lisa Carnwell
Editor
