Industry task force leads Building Information Modelling (BIM) revolution

Published: 1-Sep-2015

BIM4Health drives adoption of Building Information Modelling across the healthcare sector

An industry task force has been set up to support businesses, in particular healthcare organisations, to implement Building Information Modelling (BIM) in line with the 2016 deadline for BIM Level 2.

BIM is the process of designing a building collaboratively using a system of computer-generated models, rather than separate sets of drawings.

Technology, such as BIM, is enabling us to understand and interact with the data we collect and to translate it into something useful. BIM and BIM4Health are helping organisations to better map the environment, enhance services, and improve the patient experience

It offers considerable cost and time savings and much greater accuracy, avoiding errors as multiple teams input into a design over the course of its creation.

These gains are the reason why the Government revealed in its Construction Strategy 2011 that it would accelerate the adoption of BIM throughout the UK construction supply chain.

By 2016 – now only months away - all centrally-procured Government projects will have to use fully-collaborative 3D BIM models. This will cover all project and asset information, documentation and data.

With some confusion over how to implement the system, and how it will benefit schemes in the future, healthcare stakeholders have joined forces to launch BIM4Health.

A BIM task group, the organisation brings together expertise from industry, government, public sector, institutes and academia to drive increase adoption of BIM across the supply chain.

Group members include Janet Beckett from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE); Cliff Jones from the Department of Health’s P21+ framework; Jonathan Stewart and Mark Holloway from the Health estate and facilities management Association (HefmA); Dr Richard Pope from the Academic Health Science Network; Michael Dyson from NHS Property Services; Karl Redmond, BIM4SME representative and director of Bowman Riley Innovate; and David Kershaw, representative for P21+ and its principal supply chain partners.

Speaking to BBH last week, Steve Batson, BIM4Health chairman and a director and trustee of the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM), said: “In just a few months the Government is mandating the use of BIM on public-sector construction projects, including NHS schemes.

It’s about creating a benchmark that everyone can understand. Working together we can help get some understanding and support adoption across the healthcare sector

“It got to the point when we were getting a lot of enquiries from IHEEM members asking what they needed to do and how they were supposed to do it. It was the same for the other industry organisations.

“BIM4Health has been set up to help organisations to embrace and adopt BIM. It’s about creating a benchmark that everyone can understand. Working together we can help get some understanding and support adoption across the healthcare sector.

“We can be a voice for everyone, from clinicians through to contractors.”

Kershaw added: “This is a cracking opportunity for all the different people and groups affected to come together.

“We are striving to provide simple tools for trusts and businesses to help them understand what BIM means and how it can help them.”

Prior to the deadline for adoption, the group will raise awareness of BIM within the healthcare sector, articulate the value for all parties, provide a clear understanding of the government requirements for stage 1 of the BIM rollout process, and assist with future stages. It will also provide a voice for the sector, reflecting their concerns and interests.

Kershaw said: “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, so it’s about helping people start on the BIM journey.

“The task force includes all the major institutions, which will be there as a conduit to share knowledge.

“The construction benefits are just a small part of what BIM is all about. It is a catalyst for collecting a whole new set of data that will help enhance the built environment. BIM4Health is the starting point for that.”

We are striving to provide simple tools for trusts and businesses to help them understand what BIM means and how it can help them

Batson added: “Technology, such as BIM, is enabling us to understand and interact with the data we collect and to translate it into something useful. BIM and BIM4Health are helping organisations to better map the environment, enhance services, and improve the patient experience.”

BIM4Health will expand over the coming months to drive adoption, not only of BIM level 1, but also subsequent levels.

“As we embark upon this journey it is vital that we can raise awareness of the BIM programme and requirements and ensure that a consistent message is delivered to the supply chain, share best practice and allow a feedback route back to the task group,” said Batson.

Redmond added: “BIM4HEALTH is focused on the difficult job of raising awareness of the Building Information Modelling process to all within the NHS.

“The group is also aware of the need to link the BIM agenda with the broader and immediate requirements of the Department of Health, for example the HTM, HBN, ADB and PAM agendas, as well as efficiency drivers and improved patient outcomes, as highlighted in the NHS Five Year Forward View.”

For more information, visit the BIM4Health website at www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim4health.

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