BIM ‘most radical change in decades’
17th March 2015

Building Information Modelling (BIM) promises to create the most radical change in decades to the way construction projects are designed and executed; prompting specifiers to work with those manufacturers and suppliers who have embraced the new technology early and in a coherent manner, according to Alistair Inglis, National Sales Manager of construction sealant and waterproofing systems specialist tremco illbruck:

“Very much 21st century in its concept and the almost limitless interconnectivity offered, BIM is viewed by most people in the industry as representing an even more radical change to the way consultants, contractors and even their clients will work in the future. Driven by Government targets and offering multifarious benefits to almost everyone involved with the construction industry, it does, however, demand a major investment of time and resources to facilitate its smooth introduction throughout the supply chain.

“As a manufacturer of waterproofing and sealant systems for facades and other parts of the building envelope - including roofs and sub-structures - tremco illbruck was one of the first in the UK to recognise the importance of BIM, and to comprehend the wider implications of the Government’s timetable. The company quickly embarked on a technical appraisal of the new standard, as well as the potential providers and partners it might work with.

“Such is the breadth of our portfolio that it was decided to prioritise or fast-track certain product groups, to help it respond to customer demands for the type of properties and projects which were identified as being in the vanguard of BIM.  These have inevitably been the high value public sector contracts, including new prisons and MOD facilities, while the deadline for all Government contracts to be BIM compliant at Level 1 is 2016. Meanwhile, the new approach is also having a significant impact on some landmark commercial projects, with the Walkie-Talkie office building in London being a stand-out example.

“There is synergy between the introduction and adoption of BIM and the ambitions of the Fabric First Academy: an educational alliance of principle players in the construction industry, of which tremco illbruck was a founding member. The academy and its members are fully supportive of the latest revisions to the Building Regulations, which now incorporate Fabric Energy Efficiency Standards (FEES); marking a switch from relying on renewable energy and ensuring the building envelope performs correctly in respect of conserving energy.

“Other members of the Fabric First Academy include steel as well as timber frame specialists and a leading window manufacturer, meaning tremco illbruck is ideally qualified to offer its expertise on sealing the all-important junction or interface details across the building envelope.

“Indeed, several of the companies involved have experience of utilising the i3 system on demanding projects, where it was essential to have an integrated solution able to offer excellent airtightness as well as weather protection. Uptake of the system is expected to rise as more building projects target near-to-zero carbon performance standards.”

Fraser Higgins, Market Manager for illbruck windows and facades, added: “As a leading manufacturer in the field of construction sealants, tapes and other products, tremco has always invested heavily in research and development. We are technically advanced and once again, in respect to BIM, we are ahead of the game. I believe that project teams should look to us as the technical experts in the marketplace.

“As soon as the Government announced its intentions over BIM we began the process of seeking to find the way to make our key products available for inclusion in projects targeting compliance. We have been working with BIMstore as a major provider, with our technical people undertaking on-line training.

“We have also been actively converting our products and systems into Revitt compatible BIM objects. Amongst the first to be addressed was our i3 system which has been widely used in recent years to seal the perimeter of window and door openings for PassivHaus and other low carbon projects across the country.”

Alistair Inglis concluded: “Embracing Building Information Modelling (BIM) is going to be a gradual though accelerating process for the construction industry, which will ultimately lead to a fully collaborative 3-D model being produced for any project: enabling all parties to access full data on its every aspect via a central location. Amongst the many benefits will be simplified estimating, improved communication within the project team and eventual reduced running costs for the owner or occupant. All of these advancements are dependent on manufacturers like tremco illbruck facilitating this revolution in the design process.”

www.tremco-illbruck.co.uk