The Institution of Civil Engineers has launched new two-day “BIM for infrastructure” training courses across the UK.
The courses are aimed at senior managers, project managers, engineers and technicians, and were developed by members of the ICE BIM Action Group in consultation with the government BIM Task Group. The training will be run by ICE-owned Thomas Telford Training.
Nick Baveystock, director general and secretary for ICE, said: “ICE BIM for Infrastructure … has been developed specifically to aid understanding of the challenges and benefits of implementing BIM across the project portfolio … it brings the industry a step closer to the sector modernisation programme put in place by the government. I believe it is imperative companies continue to invest in BIM during the next 12 months and to assist with this, our course provides clarity on how to integrate and apply BIM to engineering, design, construction and asset management.”
The course content is designed to align closely with the government’s Learning Outcomes Framework and teach the overarching principles of BIM on the first day, then delve deeper on the second day to examine practical issues, including the digital plan of works and the data format COBie.
According to the Thomas Telford Training website, topics on day one will include: introduction, project life cycle, procurement, collaborative working, and the concept of data exchange.
Sessions in day two will cover: introduction, the digital Plan of Work and life cycle (including Government Soft Landings), the concept of project governance, the concept of process, the concept of data exchange, reflections and summing up.
There will be several “facilitated discussion” sessions throughout the two days.
The ICE said it hopes that by the end of the course delegates will be able to, among other things, understand the power of BIM over the whole life cycle of assets across the portfolio; address how BIM fits into the delivery of engineering, design, construction and asset management in practice; and understand the practical steps to implementing BIM.
An initial pilot of the course, held in London, sold out and received positive feedback from delegates, including Kieron Quayom, an assistant project manager for London Underground, who commented: “I have previously attended BIM-related training courses, but ICE’s BIM for Infrastructure course delved more closely into the issues that arise when implementing such a phenomenon, which was further communicated by strong examples of live projects.”
David Philp, head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office, said: “We are really pleased to see such a proactive response to raising awareness and capability in support of the BIM agenda. We have published the Learning Outcomes Framework to encourage a consistent market and anticipate a number of providers filling this space.”
Questionnaires will be issued following each training session to test learning, and all delegates will receive a complimentary copy of the ICE Book BIM in Principle and in Practice.
Courses will run in Belfast on 17 September, followed by Birmingham on 23 September, Belfast on 4 November, then London on 18 November. Extra dates are planned for 2015.
