Paul Morrell says government needs to keep pushing initiative in industry

The government鈥檚 former chief construction advisor has said he does not see a plan for the widespread introduction of BIM into the construction industry.

Paul Morrell, who held the role between 2009 and 2012, has been championing the uptake of BIM and drove the government鈥檚 use of the technology on all public building projects.

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Morrell is worried take-up of BIM is slowing down

Speaking about the progress of the industry鈥檚 uptake of BIM at the Construction Leaders鈥� Summit for the National 黑洞社区 Specification, Morrell said: 鈥淎re we nearly there yet? I think we know where there is. What I鈥檓 not sure is whether we know how to get from here to there.鈥�

He added: 鈥淭he industry needs to take ownership. We do need government to stay engaged, more engaged than it is I think, using its buying power and facilitating conversations and playing its part in the Construction Leadership Council which I think should be the key body here. It鈥檚 faced up well to covid. Let鈥檚 see it face up to this much bigger longer-term challenge.鈥�

Morrell said he thought the uptake of BIM among construction firms was faltering. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of stalled because I think people are thinking where鈥檚 the data? The answer is if you don鈥檛 start collecting it, it won鈥檛 be available and if it鈥檚 not available you won鈥檛 start using it,鈥� he added.

But Morrell, who first advised the government to require BIM across its entire building programme in 2010, said much progress has made since then.

鈥淚f I look back and say: 鈥楽o what do you think of it so far?鈥�, I actually think it鈥檚 amazing how much progress has been made. Did we think that every government department would handle every job in BIM within six years? Not really. Once you can see the benefits of working in this way, why would you do it in any other way?鈥�

The department for business, energy and industrial strategy has been approached for comment.

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