ConsensusDocs Releases New and Improved ConsensusDocs BIM Addendum

Last month the ConsensusDocs Coalition published an updated ConsensusDocs 301, Building Information Modeling (BIM) Addendum, which was an industry-first document originally published in June 2008. The BIM revision working group was assembled from a diverse group of practitioners who were intimately familiar from the technical, legal, and risk management aspects of BIM. The new Addendum updates terminology and provisions to reflect current best practices in the rapidly changing world of BIM.

“ConsensusDocs continues its lead industry role in the area of BIM with this publication,” stated Brian Perlberg, ConsensusDocs Executive Director. “The new document is more specific and technologically intricate to address current industry needs and provides for greater clarity in development of a BIM Execution Plan with better defined administration rights and responsibilities to assist all participants working on a project incorporating BIM.”

The new changes included updating liability, insurance, and intellectual property terms and adding provisions for commissioning/turnover and facilities maintenance and operations as well as sustainability analyses. In addition, the drafters incorporated a level of development (LOD) and created options related to reliance upon model data. The BIM Addendum specifies technology requirements and formats conducive to robust BIM use as a tool throughout the lifecycle of a structure and is designed so that parties can take better advantage of features unique to BIM.

The NASBP membership receives a 20% discount on all ConsensusDocs purchases. Simply use Discount Code “NASBP400” when prompted at purchase at www.ConsensusDocs.org.

“Why Bond Forms Matter … A Practical Guide to Better Bonding,” Webinar Materials Soon to Be Available

If you missed the ConsensusDocs webinar, “Why Bond Forms Matter … A Practical Guide to Better Bonding,” access the slide presentation and audio recording of it that is posted to Consensusdocs.org. The panelists explained why surety bonding is a critical component of risk allocation for many construction projects and described the distinctions between commonly used bond forms and potential ramifications of those distinctions. The panelists included Michael C. Zisa, partner of Peckar & Abramson; Deborah S. Griffin, senior counsel of Holland & Knight; and Joanne S. Brooks, vice president and counsel of the Surety and Fidelity Association of America. Zisa served on the panel that presented the NASBP Federal Construction Contracting Seminar held in June.

ConsensusDocs offers its eleven bond forms for free through its Prequalifications & Bond Forms Package. The package offers surety professionals these benefits:

• Easy editing through the ConsensusDocs Micosoft Word-based technology,
• A collaborative platform helping parties reach consensus faster,
• Current versions of each ConsensusDocs bond form, and
• Convenient access with 24/7 availability.

To access the package, go to the “Quick Purchase” tab at the top of the homepage of www.ConsensusDocs.org. Following through the purchase process is required but the balance due will be $0.

ConsensusDocs Software Training Webinars

Register for the live training webinars at http://www.consensusdocs.org/Support.

The following is a schedule of upcoming, free online training sessions of the ConsensusDocs cloud-based platform:

This 60-minute webinar addresses these aspects of the ConsensusDocs technology platform:

Request a Free Sample ConsensusDocs Contract

Remember that full, sample ConsensusDocs contracts can be requested. To request a full sample ConsensusDocs contract for your internal review purposes, fill out the ConsensusDocs Sample Request form that is at www.consensusdocs.org. Note that any use of the contract, other than for internal review purposes, must come from a valid subscription purchase atwww.ConsensusDocs.org.

Copyright Licensing

Anyone interested in using ConsensusDocs for educational or legal research purposes can apply for a free ConsensusDocs copyright license. Once the application is processed, applicants will receive a numbered copyright license letter and full watermarked samples of the requested documents. Licenses must be renewed on a yearly basis, and are contingent upon compliance with the terms of the license letter. To complete an application for copyright licensing, visit the resources page at ConsensusDocs.org.

ConsensusDocs Documents are the only contracts endorsed by 42 leading design and construction industry organizations. Offering a library of 100+ contract documents addressing all methods of project delivery, ConsensusDocs incorporate fair risk allocation and best practices to represent the project’s best interests. Coalition members represent design professionals, owners, contractors, subcontractors and sureties (DOCS). For more information, visit www.ConsensusDocs.org, call 1-866-925-DOCS (3627) or email support@ConsensusDocs.org.

NASBP is an endorsing organization of the ConsensusDocs coalition, an unprecedented effort by 42 plus industry organizations to identify industry best practices and to incorporate such practices in a new generation of construction industry standard form documents. Find out more at the NASBP’s involvement with ConsensusDocs by clicking here.