The Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution welcomed 150 speakers and delegates to King’s for its ‘Alliances, BIM and Collaborative Contracts’ conference on 1 March 2018.

The conference explored the methods adopted in a range of jurisdictions for improving value through alliances, building information modelling and collaborative contracts.  Speakers examined the ways in which these contractual systems can integrate procurement, digital technology and the law, both in common law and in civil law countries.

Director of the Centre Professor David Mosey said ‘we were fortunate to have as our keynote speakers Ann Bentley who set out the Construction Leadership Council's vision of procuring construction projects for whole life value, and Terry Stocks who explained his work in using BIM to improve accountability and asset data in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.’

Speakers in the morning session offered a range of insightful perspectives, including case studies of how the FAC-1 alliance contract is delivering improved results on public and private sector procurements in the UK worth a total of over £12 billion. These case studies included a £40 million alliance of 23 SMEs who have achieved over 9% savings for Futures Housing Group plus a range of social value, the new £200 million national programme of modular changing rooms and mini-pitches being undertaken for the Football Foundation, and a £54 million highways supply chain alliance being led by Kier.

The afternoon sessions comprised insights as to the potential for alliances, BIM and collaborative contracts in Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Brazil and the USA. Speakers announced the first two procurements using FAC-1 in Italy, and its adoption as an integrator of multiple FIDIC contracts on a mining project in Kazakhstan.

The organisers would like to thank the Alliance Steering Group, the International Construction Law Association and the Society of Construction Law for supporting the conference. They are also grateful to the Centre’s Construction Law MSc students and other delegates for contributing their own questions and comments.