AIA contract document updates include new BIM, digital data provisions

The AIA Documents Committee has revamped standard contract documents regarding Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other digital data.

The first standard forms for BIM were released a decade ago, and much has changed regarding BIM practices since then. The 2017 release updates digital practice documents including AIA Document E203–2013, Building Information Modeling and Digital Data Exhibit; AIA Document G201–2013, Project Digital Data Protocol Form; and AIA Document G202–2013, Project Building Information Modeling Protocol Form.

The updated documents are structurally different from their predecessors. They require all members of the building team to agree upon protocols for the transmission and use of instruments of service or other documentation in digital form. They also address the risks and responsibilities associated with sharing project information in digital format.

Members of the building team must spell out requirements for the various elements of the model at various stages of the project. These details should be well documented so that allowed uses of the model and how it is to be used are well understood by all parties.

Revised documents clarify that the contractor may maintain contract documents, change orders, construction change directives, and other modifications at the site in electronic format. The documents also now address the issue of notice in electronic format.

For more information on AIA contract documents, visit: https://www.aiacontracts.org/