The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) has released its largest ever technical guide, to brief members ahead of mandatory Building Information Modelling (BIM).
BIM Level 2 becomes compulsory on all public sector projects from April 4, 2016, but lack of awareness may be putting some architectural ironmongery (AI) businesses at risk, the GAI is warning. The GAI Guide to BIM, which Guild members can download for free, outlines what BIM obligations architectural ironmongers and hardware manufacturers will need to fulfil to work on public sector projects from April.
It also highlights pitfalls to avoid, including expensive and unnecessary investments; and possible business opportunities.
Douglas Masterson, technical manager of the GAI and the author of the Guide, says he hopes the technical briefing will provide a wake-up call: “At 21 pages the Guide to BIM is our longest ever technical briefing, which is a reflection of how important understanding BIM is to the architectural ironmongery industry.
“Architectural ironmongers and everyone involved in the door hardware supply chain cannot afford to be complacent and assume that BIM is something that only concerns the larger parts of the construction industry.
“At the same time, preparing for BIM need not be a costly or complicated process. The GAI can arm you with the necessary information to make your own judgments about what’s best for your business.”
BIM, hailed as ‘the digitisation of construction’, involves creating a single digital computer model which contains all the data relating to a building project in one searchable place. The UK Government is mandating BIM at a specified minimum level (Level 2) on all public sector projects, for efficiency and to cut costs.
From April 2016, architectural ironmongers working on such projects will be responsible for the hand-over of the relevant BIM documentation to the main contractor. The GAI points out that it will be their responsibility to provide all BIM material to the end-user on project completion.
Download the GAI Guide to BIM at http://www.gai.org.uk/technical/technical-briefings-137.
