AEC (UK) CAD & BIM Standards Site

Version 1.0 of the ARCHICAD supplement was first published all the way back in March 2013. A lot has changed in this time but the ARCHICAD protocol and its supplements have continued to provide a sound basis for ARCHICAD implementation. Version 2.0 brings the documents into line with the updates made to the main AEC (UK) document (published in June 2015), aligns with the latest industry standards, incorporates lessons learnt and software developments that have been made by Graphisoft over the past few releases. Its an update that makes it current and we hope it continues to provide value to the ARCHICAD community in their implementation of BIM.

Download the updated document here: AEC (UK )BIM Technology Protocol For ARCHICAD v2.0. The supplements can be found on the Documents page.

Rob Jackson, ArchiCAD sub-committee chair

For all of you asking when the AEC (UK) will release an update incorporating Uniclass 2015… it is now available from the Documents page.

Version 4.0 incorporates Uniclass 2015 into the layer naming conventions, and also adds best practice guidance to help you understand how to implement the various Uniclass tables. We have also included an updated and expanded version of our Table Zz (for non-physical or “CAD” elements). This is expanded from the original AEC (UK) table which has since been made available from the NBS website and includes items requested by our users across the UK.

The AEC (UK) BIM Protocol For Nemetschek Vectorworks has been published! Now Vectorworks users can benefit from the coordinated approach offered by the AEC (UK) suite of documents, and implement the requirements of BS1192 and PAS1192 into their technical workflows.

The Vectorworks document, the main AEC (UK) protocols and other software-specific supplements can be downloaded free of charge from https://aecuk.wordpress.com/documents/

Thanks go out to Steven Shorter, Martyn Horne and Olly Thomas for their collaborative efforts in compiling these guidelines and best practice advice.

The AEC (UK) committee has announced their intentions to update and expand the AEC (UK) BIM documents in line with the initiatives that are taking place in the UK construction industry. The widespread adoption of the AEC (UK) work, an “off-the-shelf implementation of British Standards”, has demonstrated the need for their continued development, alongside and supporting BS1192-1, PAS1192-2 and now PAS1192-3 & BS1192-4.

Chair of the AEC (UK) committee, Nigel Davies, explains, “Our aim has always been to provide software-focussed application of the British Standards, and now more than ever, as BIM adoption becomes commonplace, a unified approach to digital authoring tools is increasingly important.” He continues, “The focus of BIM has moved on in even just the last two years since version 2 was published.” The AEC (UK) priority then was primarily directed at guidance for building consistent models, now it is far more concerned with interoperability and collaboration, a stance borne out by the publication of guides for Revit, AECOsim Building Designer, ArchiCAD and the forthcoming Vectorworks version, along with the appointment of ArchiCAD and IFC expert, Rob Jackson, to the committee.

The next phase of work will build on the integration with PAS1192-2, unreleased when the AEC (UK) documents were published initially. Highlights to expect include:

• Interoperability considerations and guidance on model data structures for optimal exchange
• Considerations for LOD and LOI for software-specific modelling workflows
• Stage-based information requirements, mapped directly to in-built software properties and IFC classes

The committee believe that this new release will confirm the position of the AEC (UK) work in the UK. Davies is keen to point out that the AEC (UK) is not an alternative to the British Standards and key UK BIM documentation, but is intended to help implement them in the main BIM authoring tools. “Adopting BIM and the British Standards can be daunting. Our intention is that anyone sitting down in front of their computer ready to start ‘BIMming’ can follow this guidance and work to a proven formula for success, compliant with Level 2 BIM requirements.”