WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Hardly a week passes without an article extolling the virtues and benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The Government Services Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Veterans Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and Smithsonian Institute now require BIM implementation on their projects. And, state agencies are following suit. Just last week, for example, Wisconsin instated mandatory BIM usage for all design-bid-build projects totaling $2.5 million or more.

These requirements and those expected in the coming years leave project owners and AEC professionals with many questions. Construction Project Controls & BIM Report and WPL Publishing are pleased to present a four-part educational series designed to help AEC organizations answer their questions, select BIM components and develop effective processes to achieve their long-range growth and profit goals. "BIM Strategy: Leveraging Your Business for Profit and Growth" packs a punch as industry heavyweights team up to discuss the ins and outs of BIM implementation. Here's a closer look at each 90-minute session.

Implementing BIM: A Strategic Approach
Wed., July 29 at 1 p.m. (EDT)
Strategy is the name of the game for successful BIM implementation. BIM experts Michael Tardif and Deke Smith, authors of the recently released Building Information Modeling: A Strategic Implementation Guide by Wiley Books, will provide an in-depth look at how to implement BIM in any AEC organization. They will tell you how you can maximize the value of your technology investment and avoid mistakes along the way.

Negotiating BIM Scope
Wed., Aug. 12 at 1 p.m. (EDT)
Before BIM can be a successful player on a project, all parties must understand what level of BIM is expected and how the stakeholders' roles will be affected. That's where the contract comes into play. Presenters Forrest Lott, Tammy McCuen and Patrick Suermann will discuss specific tactics for negotiating, contracting and managing BIM projects, including discussions on the NBIMS Interactive Capability Maturity Model (I-CMM), the Department of Defense's "Attachment F,"AIA's BIM protocols, and AGC's BIM addendum.

BIM Specifications and Information Management
Wed., Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. (EDT)
Theory is necessary for a rudimentary understanding of BIM, but practice and in-the-trenches examples of BIM integration and specifications are what will drive the industry toward full adoption. This session, presented by Mark Kalin, Deborah MacPherson and John McCaffrey, will show technical examples of BIM in action, including the Specifiers Property Information Exchange (SPIE) data set, parametric indexing, OmniClass tables, MasterFormat and UniFormat. And, presenters will discuss how to coordinate modeling software with green building rating systems.

Field BIM - Using BIM to Improve Processes and Productivity
Wed., Sept. 2 at 1 p.m. (EDT)
By now, the benefits of modeling should be no surprise to A/Es, contractors, design-builders, construction managers and owners. Starting with pre-construction planning and throughout the construction process, BIM tools such as laser scanning, clash detection, 4D scheduling, 5D estimating and project documentation can provide an immediate return on investment. Presenter Dan Gonzales will discuss these tools and share how they play an increasingly important role in the construction process and why you should be familiar with them, even if you do not directly use them.

Participants who sign up for all four sessions of BIM Strategy will receive a free copy of Building Information Modeling: A Strategic Implementation Guide for Architects, Engineers, Constructors, and Real Estate Asset Managers by BIM and IPD experts Deke Smith and Michael Tardif. This hardcover, 216-page book published by Wiley Books is a $75 value.

Webinar tuition is based on location, not number of participants. So, each registration site can have multiple participants listen in for one low price. Time will be allotted at the end of each session for questions. Early bird participants can receive $100 off the series price of $599 by registering before July 13. Individual session pricing is also available. To learn more about each session and how you can receive special pricing on the entire series, visit www.BIMStrategy2009.com. 

For inquiries, contact Barbara J. Bauer at Barb.bauer@wpl.net or go to www.projectcontrols.com.

*****

WPL Publishing Co. Inc. produces four construction-themed newsletters: Construction Project Controls & BIM Report (www.projectcontrols.com), Construction Claims Advisor (www.constructionclaims.com), Green Building Insider (www.greenbuildinginsider.com) and Construction Advisor Today (www.constructionadvisortoday.com). It also hosts webinar series on topics relevant to the construction industry.

Owner and publisher Paul Levin has published, written and contributed to numerous publications including ENR, ABC Today and Constructor. For more information about WPL Publishing and its newsletters, please visit www.projectcontrols.com. Queries may also be sent to editor@wpl.net or 301-983-4367 (fax).