The ever widening acceptance and use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as well as the impact it has had on contractual relationships has been continuously monitored and evaluated by the American Institute of Architects.

Right now, the AIA Contract Documents program is being updated. The draft of these Digital Practice documents will be made available for public review and comment. The AIA is providing you with a unique and important opportunity to  review them at the AIA Contract Documents website. Just click here to download the documents. You’ll be asked to fill out a survey and get a chance to provide detailed comments on a section-by-section basis.

AIA Contract Documents

Now through September 24 the documents will be available for download and the AIA will receive open comments. Once the open comment period ends, the AIA Contract Documents Committee will review the feedback and incorporate suggested changes, if appropriate. All the documents can be found at the AIA website.

Setting up project-wide processes and related protocols for working with BIM can only enhance the exchange and management of other digital data. Take this opportunity to bring forth issues for discussion that you’ve encountered on projects so that barriers that often hinder BIM adoption can be broken down.

AIA Contract DocumentsCurrently, the updated Digital Practice documents consist of:

  • AIA Document E203–2012, “Building Information Modeling and Digital Data Exhibit”
  • AIA Document G201–2012, “Project Digital Data Protocol Form”
  • AIA Document G202-2012, “Project Building Information Modeling Protocol Form”

According to the AIA press release, Kenneth Cobleigh, managing director and counsel for the AIA Contract Documents program says, “The development of BIM and incorporation of other digital practices has been critical to the construction industry, because it facilitates successful implementation of the challenging tasks of planning, coordination, and communication among the multiple parties in construction projects. The AIA Contract Documents program has always been committed to obtaining industry feedback through our network of individual and group liaisons, and then incorporating that feedback into the development of our documents. Reaching out to a broader audience through a public review and comment process is uniquely suited to the rapidly developing nature of BIM and other practices related to the exchange and management of digital data – and this will help further our goal of ensuring that AIA Contract Documents are as comprehensive and useable as possible.”