Government working group continues work on incorporating building regulations into BIM

Peter Caplehorn, chair of the 'BIM4Regs' working group, told Building Magazine that work was progressing on the initiative, which will consider ways to integrate existing regulations into BIM. BIM4Regs has been commissioned by the BIM Task Group, which is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

BIM4Regs is due to report by the end of the year. It plans to embed regulatory, planning and health and safety requirements into BIM software so that architects and engineers can immediately see whether their designs comply with the rules. According to Building, regulations based on minimum distance measurements will be easy to incorporate, while "judgement-based responses" will be more difficult.

A BIM system uses a computer-generated model to collect and manage information about the design, construction and operation of a project centrally. It is especially useful where many parties, such as different sub-contractors, provide input on the same project. Any changes to the design of a project made during its construction are automatically applied to the model.

The Government set out its commitment to BIM as part of its 2011 Construction Strategy, led by the Cabinet Office. This report announced the Government's intention to require collaborative 3D BIM on all its projects by 2016. This will include electronic access to all project and asset information, documentation and data.

Projects expert Chris Hallam of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the BIM4Regs initiative was "gaining momentum".

"The BIM4Regs initiative is another welcome move and a further example of the wider benefits and efficiency gains that BIM can bring to the construction industry," he said. "We look forward to hearing the recommendations of the BIM4Regs working group towards the end of the year."