I recently witnessed a Building Operations Management company fail to get the required BIM models from the Architects. This is a sad situation, and costly to the project. Usually intellectual property (IP) right is given as a reason of why models are not being shared.
It highlights the necessity to have a BIM Consultant and a Resident Engineer on the side of a client, advising them of their requirements prior to awarding the contract. Clients need to consider this when commissioning new buildings. There will be a larger capital expenditure up front (unavoidable), but in the long run, there are fantastic savings (as opposed to bleeding cash) that can be made over the life of their assets.
The entire skyscraper now must be remodelled, and a production team has been assembled to do this. Unfortunately, this seems to be a recurring theme in South Africa. In my opinion the attitude of the industry needs a change, and the fastest way this will happen is when the client is educated on the options open to them, and what their role in the production is.
If the image below does not make sense to anyone involved on the productions of the project, please contact Micrographics so we may assist you in understanding the roles and responsibilities within a BIM Protocol. If you are a client, then consider carefully the implications of not enforcing your requirements contractually. This is most easily done when you have an Employers Information Request (EIR) which is met with a BIM Execution Plan.
