UK BIM Framework

The UK BIM Framework was developed by the UK BIM Alliance, BSI, and the Centre for Digital Built Britain associated with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to implement international BIM standards in the UK context.

Formally launched in October 2019, it explicitly integrates the BS EN ISO 19650 series into UK working practices. However, it has also incorporated existing British standards, publicly available specifications (PASs), transition guidance, and ancillary information such as Government Soft Landings.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been essential to digital transformation. The delivery of improved information management across the UK built environment since the 2011 Government Construction Strategy introduced the requirement for fully collaborative BIM as a minimum by 2016, referred to as the UK BIM Mandate. On 13 September 2021 UK Government has published a new policy Transforming Infrastructure Performance: Roadmap to 2030, where BIM is defined by the UK BIM Framework based on the BS EN ISO 19650 standards and the remaining BS/PAS 1192 suite of standards.

The previously known BIM Level 2 was superseded in 2018 by the UK BIM Framework and the Information Management Mandate

The framework should be applied to all UK public works projects controlled by Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) as of 13 September 2013; it sets out the overarching approach to implementing BIM and provides tools and resources.

The UK BIM Framework supports meeting the standards in UK Building Information Management, standardising the approach to generating and classifying data, data security and data exchange, and creating the National Digital Twin.

The UK BIM Framework supports common standards and protocols that enable secure, resilient data sharing across organisations and sectors.

The Information Management Framework is a crucial enabler of the National Digital Twin – an ecosystem of connected digital twins across the built environment.

The National Digital Twin programme is developing the Information Management Framework as an enabler for providing the right information, at the right time, to the right people and ensuring the quality of the information is understood.

The work planned to complete within two years will be incorporated into the Information Management Mandate.

The road map is part of 10 years plan to improve UK construction, improve interoperability, efficiency and avoid disasters such as the Grenfell tower fire etc…

UK BIM Framework is also linked to government soft landings (GSL)

As new standards are published, and the corresponding PASs is superseded, the UK BIM Framework is updated, often with the addition of regularly updated UK-specific guidance notes on implementing the latest standards.

For example, PAS 1192-2 was withdrawn following the publication of ISO 19650 Part 2 in January 2019; UK-specific guidance on Part 2: Processes for Project Delivery has since been updated quarterly to expand and improve its content.