A new industry group BIM4 Highways has been launched to help understand both the benefits and challenges of using BIM on projects
Road construction is to benefit from expert advice as a new group BIM4 Highways has been launched to promote the use of building information modelling (BIM).
BIM is increasingly becoming a major part of construction projects and with the support of the government is set to continue this trend. It can identify problems on site before the first earth is broken, cut costs and improve quality.
BIM4 Highways
The BIM4 Highways Group was established last week during a meeting at Balfour Beatty’s office in London. There were some 70 people in attendance.
The group will work to understand both the benefits and the challenges involved in using BIM Level 2. It will examine how BIM can use be used in the highways sector to improve quality and reduce the cost of construction.
During the launch meeting the group discussed the mission of the BIM4 Highways Group, what it hopes to achieve and how it will achieve these goals. There was also a roundup of the activities that have already been undertaken in the sector.
Further discussion was made into how contractors can work together to prevent duplication of efforts and to collaborate more effectively. The group also examined how the sector can work with the supply chain to ensure good practice going forward.
Culture change
Harry Parnell, head of digital project delivery for Balfour Beatty’s major projects business, said: “It was an honour to host the inaugural meeting of the BIM4 Highways Group.
“We have been using BIM and promoting its awareness since 2010 and we see that there is a real opportunity to change the culture of project teams using the processes readily available to achieve better information management.
“We need to work together as an industry to share our experiences so that we can all capitalise on the benefits and that’s why the BIM4 Highways Group is so important.”
