Watch: Digital Asset Data and Information at the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency as a client is investing in change called Creating Asset Management Capacity (CAMC). The element within this – known as Digital Asset Data Information (DADI) – is a digital programme of work with a whole life focus on how the Environment Agency as an owner operator will digitally create, maintain and operate its asset estate in the future. This video provides an overview of some of the activity that is and will be undertaken.
DADI aims to ensure the Environment Agency can access data regardless of sources or devices, by procuring only the necessary information. A central data repository will be created, which can automatically import information from external sources. DADI will also digitise engineering standards by integrating 3D models.
Watch: Digital Asset Data and Information at the Environment Agency
The Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) is a partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the University of Cambridge. Established in 2017, it brings together industry, academia and policymakers to further the digital agenda in the UK’s construction sector and investigate its long-term effects on society and the economy.
CDBB’s aim to support and develop a smart digital strategy within the built environment echoes the government’s commitment to transform the construction industry through the adoption of digital ways of working. These will deeply transform the way the industry plans, constructs, operates and maintains built assets.
CDBB is a member of the Construction Innovation Hub, alongside the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and we collaborate with other partners in the Transforming Construction Sector Deal. It is also home to a number of UK government programmes including the UK BIM Programme, National Digital Twin Programme and parts of the Global Infrastructure Programme.
The Centre funds research and supports multiple initiatives, collaborating with a variety of partners and several working groups at national and regional level.
Alongside BSI and the UK BIM Alliance, CDBB is also a partner of the UK BIM Framework, which offers the construction industry and public clients resources and guidance to implement BIM in the UK.
Founded in 1901, the British Standards Institution is the UK’s National Standards Body. The Group operates in 193 countries at over 128,000 sites, working with businesses of all sizes, from international companies to local small firms.
BSI produces standards, it audits, provides certification, runs training courses and champions innovation and best practices. Its role reaches across the international standards community, improving corporate governance, helping organisations with their performance and boosting their competitiveness worldwide.
BSI collaborates in innovative fields like smart cities, nanotechnologies, cell therapy and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Alongside CDBB and UKBIMA, it is a partner of the UK BIM Framework, which offers resources and guidance to implement BIM in the UK’s built environment.
This guidance was issued in July 2019 by the UK BIM Alliance, BSI and CDDB as a complement to Information Management according to BS EN ISO 19650 – Guidance Part 1: Concepts, published in April 2019.
It aims to help UK businesses and public clients understand the processes indicated in ISO 19650, with a focus on the different parties and their team activities referred in the standard: the Appointing Party, Lead Appointed Party and Appointed Party; the Project Team, Delivery Team and Task Team.
The guidance explains the role of each party by summarising their activities and outputs at each stage of the construction project, for instance how to coordinate information requirements, delivery milestones and information standards. It covers how to establish the information protocol, the management of the common data environment, how the information should be shared, reviewed and eventually archived alongside the lessons learned to help with future projects.
It details how each party fits into a team and across teams, which documents need compiling, which resources need sourcing and/or mobilising, how information models are assessed for compliance and which party is in charge of, say, establishing the delivery team’s capability and capacity.
A summary provides an overview of the Information Management Process, divided in stages, from Assessment and Need through Tender, Appointment, Mobilization, Collaborative Production of information and Information Model Delivery to Project Close-out.
This guidance was compiled in April 2019 by the UK BIM Alliance, BSI and CDDB to help UK businesses and public clients understand the principles of building information modelling (BIM) according to BS EN ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2.
The ISO 19650 standard is part of an ecosystem of national and international standards supporting information management processes, innovative technical solutions and good practice.
The guidance highlights how BIM can ensure significant improvements in delivery and performance efficiencies, while introducing digital ways of working in the built environment. It shows how benefits go beyond the construction stage into operations and maintenance, key to the vision of smarter cities. The adoption of BIM can improve whole-life economic, social and environmental value and promote human-centric design.
Information requirements and delivery are explained in practical terms, alongside technical, legal and contractual requirements.
Recommendations relevant to the UK are in the National Annex section, which describes the naming standard for information containers within a common data environment (CDE).
The Government Construction Strategy (GCS) 2016-20 aimed to develop the UK Government’s capability as a construction client in order to achieve efficiency savings and further establish best practices developed under the GCS 2011-15.
The overall aim was to provide a coordinated approach to a highly fragmented industry to improve the delivery, efficiency and performance of construction projects in the public, private and regulated sectors.
Key objectives included:
- Supporting the use of digital technology, including Building Information Modelling (BIM).
- Establishing collaborative procurement techniques that allow early contract and supply chain involvement. These include recruiting and upskilling the workforce while promoting fair payment.
- Fostering whole-life approaches to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions across the construction, operation and maintenance of public buildings and infrastructure.
GCS 2016-20 encompassed a collaborative action plan to deliver its objectives involving Working Groups – including representatives of central government departments, the wider public sector and industry – the Strategic Delivery Group and the Government’s Construction Board.
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority was tasked to deliver the Strategy in partnership with major construction spending departments and agencies.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
The UK’s construction sector has a strong competitive edge in the global construction market, forecasted to grow by over 70% by 2025. The 2013 Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership – Construction 2025, fruit of a collaboration between industry and the Government, shares a long-term vision for UK construction and includes an action plan.
The key objectives of the Strategy are to lower construction and whole-life costs by 33%, increase delivery by 50%, lower greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment by 50% and reduce the trade gap between exports and imports by 50%.
Objectives are aligned to targets and the areas of intervention include manpower, smart solutions, sustainability, growth and leadership:
- Attracting young people and upskilling the existing workforce are key to boosting capacity and capability.
- Developing efficient and technologically advanced solutions in all areas of construction, spearheaded by investment in research and innovation, is imperative to maintain global standing. The UK’s commitment to the Building Information Modelling (BIM) programme is an opportunity to excel.
- The enormous pressure to adopt environmental practices sharpens the focus on low-carbon and green construction solutions. These have the potential to provide value for money, for instance addressing material and energy waste.
- The global construction industry is set to grow by 4.3% each year until 2025 and it is crucial to boost the UK construction’s competitiveness. It is also a great opportunity to create a strong and resilient supply chain.
- The Construction Leadership Council, representing organisations across the industry, will provide leadership and oversee the delivery of the Strategy.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
A report for the Government Construction Client Group, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) Working Party strategy paper
This report was compiled by the BIM Industry Working Group in 2011 to brief the Construction Clients Group on the benefits of digital ways of working in the built environment.
It was commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Efficiency Reform Group from the Cabinet Office to devise a strategy to increase the uptake of Building Information Modelling (BIM) among public sector clients over a five-year period.
The adoption of BIM would not only improve the performance of government estate in terms of costs, value and carbon performance but also support and promote the UK construction sector’s standing and reputation in international markets.
Collaboration between industry and academia is crucial to ensure an increase of competency through on-going training, toolkits and knowledge exchange, supported by standards and accreditations.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
The Government Construction Strategy was published in May 2011 to support the growth of the construction sector, which is a major part of the UK economy. It was prepared by the Efficiency and Reform Group of the Cabinet Office and the Construction Sector Unit of BIS, working closely with Infrastructure UK (IUK).
The Strategy aimed to help reduce costs up to 20%, improve business models and practices, and establish a collaborative culture while ensuring the public sector is more informed and better coordinated to provide clear briefs and work with suppliers to develop cost-effective solutions for projects of all sizes.
Within the Strategy, a key element for reducing costs, cutting waste and avoiding errors is the adoption of the Building information Modelling (BIM), which makes the most of digital technologies to provide a consistent flow of information, measurable standards at all stages of construction and a basis for asset management when a project is completed.
To enable businesses of all sizes to implement BIM, the Government set up a timeframe and adoption path that allow companies at different transition stages to catch up. This is described in the Strategy as a phased process involving industry groups, in order to allow time for businesses to prepare for the development of new standards and for upskilling their workforce.
The 2011 Government Construction Strategy introduced fully collaborative BIM – with all project and asset information, documentation and electronic data – as a minimum requirement for all government clients by 2016. This is referred to as the UK BIM Mandate.
An archive version of this information article has been created if the original is no longer accessible (Archive information from January 2024)
