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What Is The CIC BIM Protocol - NBS
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Home / Knowledge / What is the CIC BIM Protocol?
Please note the article below has been superseded by 'The CIC BIM Protocol: Introducing the
second edition (2018)'
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BIM (Building Information Modelling) | Contracts and Law
08 August 2017
by Richard McPartland (/authors/richard-mcpartland)
The CIC Building Information Model (BIM) Protocol - Standard Protocol for use in projects using
Building Information Models (http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-
BIM-Protocol.pdf) was published by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in 2013.
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Meeting the 'BIM mandate' would therefore require a range of legal and contractual issues to be
considered as multiple stakeholders would be required to come together to share their own
assets and work together on combined assets.
The Protocol identi es building information models that are required to be produced by the
project team and puts in place speci c obligations, liabilities and associated limitations on the use
of those models.
The Protocol is just part of a suite of standards, protocols and tools that underpin delivery to BIM
Level 2 (/knowledge/the-key-ingredients-of-bim) and is designed to be easy to apply. It takes the
form of a supplementary seven-page legal agreement that can be easily incorporated into
professional services appointments and construction contracts by way of a simple amendment.
The Protocol features two appendices and these are the only documents which need to be
completed with speci c project information.
Appendix 1 (http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BIM-Protocol-
Appendix-1.xls) includes the Model Production and Delivery Table (including references to all BIM
models required by the employer at each stage of the project) and Appendix 2
(http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BIM-Protocol-appendix-2.doc)
contains Information Requirements (details of all the information management standards that
will be required on a project).
You can nd more information and download the CIC BIM Protocol
(http://www.bimtaskgroup.org/bim-protocol/) from the BIM Task Group website.
The Protocol creates additional obligations and rights for the employer and the contracted party.
It is based on the direct contractual relationship between the employer and the supplier but does
not create additional rights or liabilities between different suppliers.
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The Protocol might also be used by consultants or contractors working on a project in order to
manage the work of sub-consultants and sub-contractors. Clients can also use the protocol to
require the adoption of particular ways of working – adopting a common naming standard, for
example.
Responsibilities, liabilities and limitations - these are de ned for project team members in the
Protocol.
Copyright - The Protocol gives the client the right to use information contained in project
model(s) for the 'permitted purpose' intended given the level of detail set out. A client can also
issue a sub-licence to allow other project team members to use models prepared by other project
team members. Using third party models may require a new licence.
Expected deliverables - These are de ned, as is the required level of detail (/knowledge/bim-
levels-of-detail) (LOD) and when these should be provided via series of data drops at various
project stages. Appendix 1 of the protocol features a Model Production and Delivery Table.
Collaborative practices and the use of PAS 1192-2 for information management - These are
advocated but not prescribed by the Protocol. Information Management standards to be adopted
on the project will be set out in Appendix 2.
It is important that the Protocol and its appendices are made available pre-appointment and that
changes to it or its appendices are treated as variations to the contract, following suitable change
control procedures.
Because the Protocol takes the form of a supplementary document there may be occasions
where there is con ict and inconsistency between the protocol and existing contractual
agreements. Where this occurs the information contained in the Protocol should take
precedence.
The information manager is expected to ensure the model follows the Protocol and also has
responsibility for ensuring the data is secure. The information manager has no responsibilities for
co-ordination or clash detection - their focus is on the application of the Protocol.
Is the Protocol suitable for BIM Levels 3 and beyond?
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The Digital Built Britain agenda (/knowledge/what-is-digital-built-britain) will see the policy,
processes and tools required to support working to BIM Levels 3 and beyond (/knowledge/bim-
levels-explained) solidify.
BIM Level 3 will see disciplines come together to develop a single online project model with
construction sequencing and additional information on cost and lifecycle management
incorporated.
Working out the contractual and legal issues associated with this greater level of collaboration
will likely take some time and the CIC BIM Protocol in its current form is unlikely to cover these
concerns suf ciently, requiring the development of new protocols.
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