The aim is to support the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) across the building engineering sector to speed up the digital transformation of the industry, improve its productivity and project delivery processes.
The news comes in the wake of research showing that 66% of firms in construction related fields accelerated their use of digital working during the Covid-19 lockdown.
A survey of 250 construction managers carried out by the software provider Procore Technologies also revealed that 94% of them reported seeing an improvement in the way their teams were working as a result of the introduction of a new digital innovation.
The majority also believe that using a single digital platform that delivers all project data in one place will play a key role in their futures.
BIM adoption has grown substantially in the last 10 years according to the 10th Annual BIM Report by the NBS. In 2011, 43% of respondents had not heard of BIM. Today, awareness is almost universal, with 73% using BIM.
Head of SFG20 Steve Tomkins said: “Since 2016 the government has required all public-sector work to be subject to the Level 2 BIM method of working. BESA and SFG20, as the industry’s premiere solution for building maintenance, welcome this great opportunity to work more closely with the UK BIM Alliance to further accelerate our sector’s adoption of digital systems and processes – and ensure BIM becomes a standard part of how we work today and into the future.
“This partnership will not only help our members engage on BIM, but it will lead to the long-term improvement of building performance and will maximise cost saving,” added Mr Tomkins.
The UK BIM Alliance said its affiliate programme aimed to bring together those professional institutions, trade associations and other organisations able to provide “a consistent message and coordinated approach to digital transformation, working across silos to a shared objective”.
In addition to the affiliation with the UK BIM Alliance, BESA recently established a new BIM Specialist Group made up of companies in the building engineering sector who are operating using BIM, which aims to demonstrate best practice for the sector and encourage greater adoption within building engineering.