Both Kitemarks stand on their own right and demonstrate our ability to deliver BIM. We are experiencing an increase in demand for BIM on projects in both our construction and asset management businesses.– Melanie Dawson, Graham Construction
Graham Construction has become the first UK and Ireland contractor to be awarded a double BIM certification, achieving the BSI Kitemark certification for both BIM Design and Construction (PAS 1192-2) and BIM Asset Management (PAS 1192-3).
Graham has a turnover in excess of £565m and employs more than 2,200 people. It is Incorporating BIM across its business and has trained more than 500 people on its team in the technology.
It is using BIM to deliver projects including Baird & Anchor Hospitals on behalf of NHS Grampian, a 383-unit build-to-rent development on Liverpool’s waterfront (pictured above), the framework for The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in Richmond, London, and the University of Reading’s Thames Valley Science Park development in Shinfield, Reading.
BIM+ caught up with Graham’s head of BIM Melanie Dawson.
Can you explain how and why the company achieved this double accreditation
To achieve the Kitemark accreditation we had to complete two audits in December last year, both of which happened within a matter of weeks.
For the first one, we were audited on the design and construction in line with the requirements of PAS 1192-2. The auditor looked at our systems and processes, and took an in-depth look at our completed BIM Level 2 projects.
The second audit looked at the work produced by the Graham asset management team, which was again a review of our systems and processes, this time in line with PAS 1192-3 and was followed by a review of the application of these processes on a number of live or recently completed projects.
We were delighted at the end of the two audits to have achieved zero non-conformities, which shows the expertise and level of commitment to BIM from our project delivery teams on such a wide spectrum of work across the UK and Ireland.
Is it something clients are looking for?
Yes, both Kitemarks stand on their own right and demonstrate our ability to deliver BIM. We are experiencing an increase in demand for BIM on projects in both our construction and asset management businesses.
Together, the two Kitemarks offer fantastic synergy and show that Graham can take a project right through from concept, build, handover and in-use stages seamlessly. It is a unique offering and one that positions us ahead of the field when tendering for design, build, operate maintain (DBOM) type jobs with BIM requirements.
Why did you decide to go for these accreditations?
Working smarter is at the heart of what we do at Graham and BIM and digital construction are seen as a catalyst to helping us achieve this vision. We went for the two Kitemarks to continue to drive this efficiency and reap the well reported benefits of BIM.
The third party accreditation gives our clients and the supply chain we work with confidence that Graham is a partner of choice when it comes to working smarter.
BSI Kitemarks are only awarded when you are delivering BIM to the standard. It’s not about theory and requires substantial and demonstrable examples of excellent BIM delivery, which is why we are pleased to have both our construction and asset management businesses at this level, and to be the first in the UK and Ireland to get there.
