Advice Note

Common Data Environment (CDE)

Revisions
Revision Date Description Revised By Issued To
P01 21.01.2019 First publication RIAI BIM Subcommittee RIAI
Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

Purpose of Document
This document assists the Information Manager in establishing the Common Data
Environment (CDE) in compliance with BS1192-2:2007+A2:2016.

ALL project participants, who are producing any information, must engage with the CDE,
whether they are producing models, drawings, specifications, reports, schedules, bills of
quantities, or other related documents (files) or not, so this document also provides
information as to how the CDE is structured.

Scope
This document is intended to support the collaborative production, management and sharing
of architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) information, using BIM level 1 maturity
(mixture of 2D & 3D information), or BIM level 2 maturity, all 3D BIM work undertaken
collaboratively between the design team members identified in the roles defined in
PAS1192-2:2013. It is not the intention of this document to state how each organisation will
implement BIM with their respective organisations, but organisations are encouraged to
ensure that their internal procedures support the roles defined in this document in the
interest of project quality control and improving collaborative processes.

Standards and Publications

1. BS 1192:2007+A2:2016 - Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and
construction information - Code of practice.
2. PAS 1192-2:2013 - Specification for information management for the capital/delivery
phase of construction projects using building information modelling.
3. PAS 1192-3:2014 - Specification for information management for the operational
phase of assets using building information modelling
4. BS 1192-4:2014 - Collaborative production of information. Fulfilling employer’s
information exchange requirements using COBie. Code of practice.
5. PAS 1192-5:2015 - Specification for security-minded building information modelling,
digital built environments and smart asset management.
6. PAS 1192-6:2018 - Specification for collaborative sharing and use of structured
Health and Safety information using BIM.
7. Building Information Model (BIM) Protocol (Second Edition)​ - Construction Industry
Council (CIC)
8. Outline Scope of Services for the Role of Information Management - Construction
Industry Council (CIC)
● Note. BS1192 & PSA1192-2 are soon to be replaced by ISO/EU standards ISO
19650 parts 1&2.

RIAI BIM Committee

The BIM committee is working together to realise a unified, usable, co-ordinated approach to
Building Information Modelling in a design environment.

Committee

Revision P01 Page 2 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

Michael Earley (chair) Scott Tallon Walker Architects

Ralph Montague Arcdox
Bernard Voortman Cummins & Voortman Ltd.
David O’Connell McCauley Daye O’Connell Architects
Rich De Palma RKD Architects/DPW Group
Michael Hinshelwood Lafferty Associates
Daire Bracken Lafferty Associates
Pat Slattery Arcdox
Eoin Prunty O'Mahony Pike Architects

Update Procedure
Proposed changes to this document should be submitted in writing with accompanying
examples, discussion or other supportive material to ​info@riai.ie​ for the attention of the RIAI
BIM Committee. Feedback will be gathered and continuously reviewed; they will be collated
to form new revisions at appropriate intervals.

Copyright
This document includes direct references to BS1192:2007+A2:2016 & PAS1192-2:2013, the
CIC BIM Protocol (Second Edition), 'The role of the Information Manager is defined in the
Outline Scope of Services for the role of Information Management' (first edition 2013) drafted
by BL Consult and Beale and Company on behalf of the CIC and the BIM Task Group and
'Best Practice Guide for professional Indemnity Insurance when using Building Information
Models' produced by Griffiths and Armour on behalf of the CIC and the BIM Task Group.

It is important to note that this document will only become truly useful if as many companies
adopt it as possible. To that extent, it may be freely distributed and used in any format
necessary, provided credit is given to the RIAI BIM Committee.

Disclaimer
All the advice outlined in this document is for information only. The authors and contributing
companies take no responsibility for the utilisation of these procedures and guidelines. Their
suitability should be considered carefully before embarking upon any integration into your
current working practices.

Revision P01 Page 3 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

Common Data Environment (general information)

The Common Data Environment (CDE) is the ​digitisation​ of the process which included
printing documents and drawings and combining these with issue sheets to be distributed via
the postal system. The same principles apply in that there must be an auditable trail of
information where receivers of information can confidently rely on the content of that
information. Faxes and more recently email have been a very successful means of
communicating documents quickly and easily but this is “uncontrolled” (with no managed
approval, acceptance or historical audit tail). As the number of documents increases, they
become cumbersome to manage and do not provide necessary quality control to avoid
mistakes due to latest revisions being issued for misinterpretation of purpose for why a
document was issued. Security can also be a concern as emails can be distributed with any
control by the originator.

Document Management systems have been in existence for many years in various forms
from simple networked folders, ftp sites, Windows (or other operating system) based
applications and more recently web based applications. The latter is expected to have the
most transformative effect on the industry as they require limited technical knowledge or
infrastructure to setup and provide very rich features for managing and controlling
documents that is common to the entire project team.

The concept of a Common Data Environment (CDE) was created with the publication of
BS1192:2007 in 2007 which for most of us, preceded BIM, and was a code of practice for
producing, managing and sharing “information” (predominantly CAD information at the time),
in a structures and organised way, in a “central repository” (single source of truth). In fact,
there is no mention of BIM or 3D in BS1192:2007 but the standard was deemed applicable
by the BIM Task Group when preparing PAS1192-2:2013. The standard for later updated to
BS1192:2007+A2:2016 mostly to align terms and improve small aspects that were not being
adapted or were confusing. In relation to the CDE, BS1192:2007+A2:2016 prescribes how
files are named, what revision system is used and how to delineate the status of the
document (related to passing through defined “approval” gates), which is basically rules for
an Issue Sheet but in digital format that is consistent for all participants.

The management of project information, goes well beyond using 3D CAD models or BIM,
and involves all project participants who produce/manage any project related information
(whether working in BIM or not). BS1192:2007 describes the Common Data Environments
(CDE) as a shared/central project data repository for ALL project information (graphical,
non-graphical, documents) – so it applies whether you are working on a BIM project or not,
and it applies to all participants.

The CDE is the “single source of truth”, when it comes to ALL building information on the
project (whether it is BIM or other). It should be the only place that participants put
information, and the only place people go to look for information (the purpose is to have the
latest information centralized in one place). You should never have to email documents, you
should simply notify people that the CDE has been updated (or if you like, provide a link to
the documents in the CDE).

The CDE contains:

● Graphical Data​ (models, drawings, IFC, photographs, video, etc)

● Non-graphical Data​ (schedules, databases, COBie, etc)

Revision P01 Page 4 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

● Documents​ (contracts, minutes, RFI’s, brief, specifications, reports, BOQ, inspection

plans, commissioning certificates, product data sheets, user manuals etc, etc)

Collectively this information is called the ​Project Information Model​ (PIM) during design /
construction phase, and once handed over, the ​Asset Information Model​ (AIM) for
operations phase (the word “model” in these terms should not to be confused with only the
3D model – it is ALL information as described above). The PIM is progressively developed
and delivered to the employer through a series of information exchanges at different stages
of the project and these exchanges will contain contributions from all parties.

Types of Common Data Environment

PAS1192-2:2013 provides flexibility on the type of CDE that may be used. System types
include:
● A network / project server may be suitable if one organisation is responsible for all
disciplines. The network may be within a single location or connected to multiple
locations via a WAN.

● A file based system is one in which the metadata about the file is stored only in the
file itself. Examples are ftp, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. (although the “approval”
workflows and historical audit trail in some of the free/cheap online systems, may
need to be manually handled).

● A database system is one in which additional metadata is stored about files. Revision
and Status are examples of such metadata. More sophisticated systems automate
the enforcement of file naming and management of file approvals.

A network / project server is only suitable within one organisation. A file based system may
be suitable for small projects but as the number of files increases, they becomes difficult to
manage.

A database system is the most robust system for medium to large size projects which will
typically have a web based interface which provides additional features such as recording
revisions, document status and workflows for sharing, publishing, approving, accepting and
archiving files can save significant time and improved quality assurance for information.

There are numerous web based systems available which can be very simple or extremely
sophisticated. Some allow models to be federated online which include tools to update data
and synchronize back to the local models. On the most sophisticated CDEs, there is a trend
towards all project information being on the CDE with local PCs only being used for
authoring that information. Care must be taken with these systems to ensure that the
security system allows data to be segregated for each organisation as otherwise there may
be PI insurance concerns.

Aside from specific project requirements, an important criteria for any CDE is that it can
comply with BS1192:2007+A2+2016. Most CDEs do not come with BS1192:2007+A2+2016
compliance as standard but tend to be flexible enough to provide means to ensure
compliance which must be documented and managed by the Information Manager.

CDE Specification
A Common data Environment should provide the following functionality:

Revision P01 Page 5 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

1. Include licenses to access the CDE for all task team members and the employer
team.
2. Provide a secure login system.
3. Comply with security requirements in the EIR and additionally PAS1192-5:2015
where required.
4. Provide a means of recording metadata for files. At a minimum, the CDE should
record the revision and suitability code for each file exchanged.
5. Allow current and previous revisions/versions to be viewed and downloaded.
6. Provide a system for approval of documents, in accordance with BS1192:2007.
7. The CDE should include a viewer for the federated model which can be accessed by
registered and authorised users.
8. Provide an audit trail for files sufficient to determine:
a. individual and organisation who shared the document
b. date and time when the document was shared
c. list of recipients and individuals who viewed, downloaded and approved
documents.

The management of the CDE is usually done through a software solution. It should be
agreed what software solution will be used, and who will bear the costs for procuring and
providing the CDE at different stages – the cost of this should be included in the tender
documents (client, design lead, contractor).

It is the role of the “Project Information Manager” (usually the lead designer at design stage,
and the main contractor at construction stage) to ultimately manage the CDE, for the
respective stage, but the cost of “provision” of the CDE system, setup and licences, is not
deemed to be automatically included in the standard service of the lead designer, or main
contractor (refer to CIC Outline Scope of Service for Information Management, 2013) - the
costs related to the provision, setup and licences are additional.

Responsibility
In accordance with the Outline Scope of Services for the Role of Information Management -
Construction Industry Council (CIC), the ​Information Manager​ is responsible for
establishing the Common Data Environment.

Security
The CDE should include at least two named administrators who have full administrative
access to the project on the CDE. The administrator should include the Information Manager
and another person designated by the Information Manager which could be a Document
Controller. Some CDEs may provide for limited administrative security access which can be
granted to selected users e.g. Team Information Managers.
The CDE Administrator should have the following rights:
1. Grant and revoke access for user accounts to the CDE.

2. Create Distribution Groups and add/remove user accounts for each group.

3. Create Roles and add/remove user accounts for each role.

4. Create Roles and grant access for roles to folders.

5. Create forms and grant access to the forms.

Revision P01 Page 6 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

6. Create Document Statuses based on BS1192:2007 and grant access to each status.

Where a security policy based on PAS 1192-5:2015 - Specification for Security-minded

building information modelling, digital built environments and smart asset management is
required, significant planning and specialist advice may be required which is not within the
scope of this document.

Audit Trail
An audit trail is a standard requirement for all documentation regardless of whether external
quality assurance systems require it. Put simply, all files that are shared with third parties
should have a record or when, who and what reason they were shared. Any subsequent
revisions should be tracked also ensuring that all recipients of the previous version
understand that the previous version is superseded.

Many CDEs, stack revisions of documents on top of each other, only showing the latest
version but allow you to see and compare all versions if required. Generally these CDEs use
the file name to identify that the document is the same as a previous revision. As files are
distributed to individuals or distribution groups, the CDE should record each individual
distribution and the status of the document. The status should be one of the status codes
prescribed in BS1192:2007+A2:2017.

For audit or traceability purposes, the following additional information for each document
should ideally also be tracked, and be able to be reported in some way:
1. Which Individual submitted the document
2. Date submitted
3. Which Individual approved the document (some approvals may be tiered – ie
consultant approval followed by client approval etc)
4. Date approved
5. Which individuals viewed or downloaded the document
6. Date Viewed/Downloaded

NOTE If the Common Data Environment doesn’t include an audit trail, you will need to keep
manual records using traditional issue sheets which should be submitted with each
distribution of files, which can be very onerous or time-consuming.

CDE Areas and Suitability Status

The CDE areas do not necessarily represent folders (in the traditional sense) which can be
confusing. All files uploaded to the system have a Suitability or status code, which indicates
to others to what level they can rely on or trust the information. Files issued for “sharing” are
suitable for ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration, but not suitable or “accepted” or
authorized by the client for major milestones (like planning, building control, tender, for
construction, as-built handover etc). Files could theoretically all be in one location provided
the CDE system allowed participants to view files for a status that is relevant to them. For
example, the Employer will see all Published files and files issued for PIM authorisation
whereas the Design Team may be able to view all shared files.

Revision P01 Page 7 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

The CDE areas should align with the sections identified in figure 15 of PAS1192-2:2013.
While various Common Data Environments have different technical solutions to achieving
compliance with section 9.2.2 of PAS1192-2:2013, it is vitally important that information can
be differentiated between WIP, Shared, Published and Archive. There should also be
documented proof for each of the 5 authorisation gates.
The Status of each file is used to determine what a file can be used for. Examples:
● ‘S2 - Suitable for Internal Review and Comment’ means the file is distributed for
review and comment but it cannot be used for any of the other statuses e.g. Tender.
Subsequent to incorporating any comments, the originating team may upload a new
revision and change the status to ‘D1 - Suitable for Costing’ if that is the status
required. If there are no changes, the status of the file on the CDE could be simply
changed to ‘D1 - Suitable for Costing’.
● Status ‘S6 - Suitable for PIM Authorisation’ is used by the Design team for Employer
at an Information Exchange. If the Employer accepts the Project Information Model,
the status is changed to A1, A2, A3 or B1, B2, B3 depending on if the files are
approved or partially approved.

Suitability Status
The status of a document indicates what the document (or container) is suitable for e.g.
Information, Costing, Tender, Construction, etc. Statuses on the CDE should be named in
accordance with BS1192:2007+A2:2016 using the prescribed fields. The Status should be
selected on the CDE only from a prescribed list which is based on BS1192:2007+A2:2016.
The status for each document can transition in the CDE under a controlled workflow. For

Revision P01 Page 8 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

example, only the Employer should be able to change the status to A1, A2, A3, etc as
Approved and accepted as stage complete.

Revisions
Revisions distinguish changes or amendments to a document and are a very common part
of information control on projects. Revisions on the CDE should be named in accordance
with BS1192:2007+A2:2016 using the prescribed fields. Revision should be added on the
CDE only. Once a file is uploaded to the CDE, it is given a revision and only subsequent
uploads have a newer revision e.g. P01, P02, P03, etc. Work in Progress files have a special
revision which allows for multiple work in progress revisions leading to a standard revision
e.g. P01.01, P01.02 leading to P01. Information Exchanges accepted by the Employer in full
need to be updated to C01, C02, etc.
NOTE 1 BS1192:2007+A2:2016 introduced the concept of A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3
statuses. A1 is the acceptance of the first Information Exchange, A2 is the second and so
on. A5 maybe the construction version depending on what is required in the EIR. Status B
files must be resubmitted so that all documentation achieves Status A although work may
proceed except for areas marked in abeyance. There is no Status C.
NOTE 2 Work in Progress (WIP) files with a Status of S0 - Work in progress may be shared
but at risk as they are not considered to be validated, checked or approved. All other files
should be validated, checked or approved by the Team Manager prior to be submitted on the
CDE.

The standard Codes for suitability as per Table 5 in BS1192:2007+A2:2016 are:

Revision Graphical Non-graphical

Status Description Documents
Code Data Data

Work in Progress ​(Non-Contractual)

P01.01,
S0 Work In Progress ✓ ✓ ✓
etc

Shared ​(Non-Contractual)

Suitable for Coordination

The file is available to be
‘shared’ and P01,
S1 ✓ X X
used by other disciplines as a P02, etc
background for their
information.

P01,
S2 Suitable for Information X ✓ ✓
P02, etc

Suitable for Internal Review P01, As

S3 ✓ ✓
and Comment P02, etc Required

Suitable for Construction P01,

S4 X X ✓
Approval P02, etc

Suitable for PIM Authorisation P01,

S6 X X ✓
(Stages 2a, 2b and 3) P02, etc

Suitable for PIM Authorisation P01,

S7 X X ✓
(Stages 4 and 5) P02, etc

WIP to Published
Unauthorized and (Non-contractual) use at risk.

Revision P01 Page 9 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

P01,
D1 Suitable for Costing ✓ ✓ ✓
P02, etc

P01,
D2 Suitable for Tender X ✓ ✓
P02, etc

P01,
D3 Suitable for Contractor Design ✓ ✓ ✓
P02, etc

Suitable for Manufacture / P01,

D4 X ✓ ✓
Procurement P02, etc

Published ​(Contractual)

Approved and accepted as

C01,
A1, A2, A3, etc stage complete (C= ✓ ✓ ✓
C02, etc
Contractual/Complete)

Partially signed-off: with minor

comments from the Client. All
minor comments should be
indicated by the insertion of a P01.01,
B1, B2, B3, etc. ✓ ✓ ✓
cloud and a statement of ‘in etc
abeyance’ until the comment
is resolved, then re-submitted
for full authorization.

Published for AIM Acceptance

As Construction Record
C01,
CR documentation, PDF, Models ✓ ✓ ✓
C02, etc
etc

CDE Folders
Most CDEs have a concept of folders or containers to store files with common attributes.
Most of us are familiar with folders and probably create far more folders than we need in the
long run. There is no requirement to include folders on a CDE and there are valid arguments
for keeping the number of folders to a minimum as folders increase the complexity for
security. Some CDEs have predefined containers that must be used. Many web based
database systems include filtering mechanisms which can be more powerful than folders
which allow files to be grouped, filtered and sorted based on fields in the file name, the
revision, status, construction package or other metadata about the file.
On a CDE, security is probably the only reason to use folders as security is best applied to
folders rather than files to minimise complexity. At a minimum, the only folders required are
ones for the Employer, Design Team, Construction Team (once appointed). Each of these
could include folders for each Task Team. Security can then be controlled on the areas and
then within the team folders. Typically, each team will have access to upload, view and
download from their own folder but only rights to view and download from other folders.
If the CDE permits, revisions of files should be linked to the Employers folder for Information
Exchanges. Otherwise, a Publication folder could be created where the files are copied.
Where possible, the files should be in the same folder so that revision and status control can
be maintained.
The following example could be used:

Revision P01 Page 10 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

Only if further subdivision of team folders cannot be avoided​, it would be advisable to ensure
that folders are consistently named. If one organisation places models in 3D Models,
another in BIM Models and another in models and so on, the CDE becomes difficult to
manage. There is no standard for naming of folders in each Task Teams folder. In the
interests of familiarity, a common system for naming folders should be used for each Task
Team. The following example based on types of files defined in BS 1192:2007+A2:2016
could be used:
1. Shared Resources
1.1. Employer Requirements
1.2. BIM Execution Plan
1.3. Surveys
2. Drawings and Models
2.1. 2D Models (M2)
2.2. 3D Model (M3)
2.3. Animation Files (AF)
2.4. Clash Rendition (CR)
2.5. Combined Models (CM)

Revision P01 Page 11 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

2.6. Drawings (DR)

2.7. Model Renditions (MR)
2.8. Visualisation Files (VS)
3. Documents
3.1. Bill of Quantities (BQ)
3.2. Calculations (CA)
3.3. Correspondence (CO)
3.4. Cost Plan (CP)
3.5. Health & Safety (HS)
3.6. Information Exchanges (IE)
3.7. Method Statements (MS)
3.8. Programmes (PR)
3.9. Report (RP)
3.10. Room Data Sheets (RD)
3.11. Schedule of Accommodation (SA)
3.12. Schedules (SH)
3.13. Specifications (SP)

NOTE 1 Provided files are named in accordance with BS1192:2007+A2:2016 and the CDE
allows files to be filtered based on the fields in the file name, folders should not be required.
NOTE 2 Some correspondence may be better placed in forms where it can be tracked e.g.
RFIs, Technical Submittals, etc.
NOTE 3 The Information Manager should become familiar with the selected CDE as early in
the project as possible so that system dependent functionality can be optimised in the
documentation of the CDE within the BIM Execution Plan.

Files
Files on the CDE should be named by all team members in accordance with
BS1192:2007+A2:2016 using the prescribed fields. Project specific field codes should be
established as part of the Standard Methods and Procedures (SMP) in the ​BIM Execution
Plan​ by the ​Information Manager​ ensuring that there is a common file naming system.

A Common Data Environment (CDE) that complies with BS1192:2007+A2:2016, requires

every document/file name to be comprised of a number of fields with codes of a prescribed
length whose values are provided in BS1192:2007+A2:2016 or can be project specific in
certain cases. Each field is delimited by a dash. Project specific codes should be recorded in
the BIM Execution Plan, or specified in the EIR.

Mandatory fields:

● Project ​(2-6 characters)​ ​- The ‘project’ is an alphanumeric code that is used by the
project team to identify the project. It should not be confused with the Project
Contract number which may be different for each company working on the project.

Revision P01 Page 12 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

● Originator ​(3-6 characters) - The ‘originator’ is an alphabetic code that represents

the company responsible for that aspect of the work. The codes must represent the
company name, and not the discipline.
● Volume / System ​(1-2 characters) - The ‘volume’ is an alphabetic code that
represents a building volume or system. The codes should be unique across the
project e.g. 01 is Structural Frame, 02 is Steel Framing, 03 is Facade, 04 is HVAC
systems, etc. Volumes / Assets are not drawing areas, and do not relate to the
amount of the project shown on any given drawing. Volumes are the responsibility of
the Lead Designer.
● Level / Location ​(1-2 characters) - The ‘level’ or ‘location’ code is a 2 character
alphanumeric code that represents the level or storey of the building, or the chainage
location of a linear construction (road/rail etc).
● Document Type​ (2 characters) - The ‘type’ is a two- character alphanumeric code
that indicates the type of le from a prescribed list of types for Models & Drawings
and a separate list for Documents which can be extended with project specific types.
● Discipline ​(1 character) - The ‘discipline’ code is a single character indicating the
discipline e.g. A for Architect, S for Structural Engineer, etc.
● Number​ (exactly 4 digits) - The numbering for standard coding should be exactly four
integer numeric digits, used sequentially. Leading zeros should be used.

Optional Fields:

● Classification​ (2 or more characters) - The code should be two characters or more.

A single code from Uniclass 2015 should be used.
● File Description​ - a plain english ile description in CamelCase text can be included
preceded with an underscore character.
Examples:

Model - Architectural model

Project Originator Volume/System Level Type Discipline Number

PRJ FLR ZZ ZZ M3 A 0001

Drawing - Structural plan at level 01

Project Originator Volume/System Level Type Discipline Number

PRJ FRK ZZ 01 DR S 1001

Schedule - Sanitware schedule at Level 01

Project Originator Volume/System Level Type Discipline Number

PRJ TBA 74 01 SH A 0001

BS1192:2007+A2:2016 notes that the number should ensure that the filename is unique in
the context of the preceding fields. While it is practical to ensure that no two files have the
same name, this system could result in a lot of files ending with the number being 0001 as
any change to one of the preceding fields ensures uniqueness.

Revision P01 Page 13 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

It is recommended that numbers are be arranged in blocks to help plan sets of deliverables.
Example:

Architectural

General 0001 - 0999

GA Plans 1001 - 1999

GA Elevations 2001 - 2999

GA Sections 3001 - 3999

Assembly Drawings 4001 - 4999

Details 5001 - 5999

Room Layouts 6001 - 6999

Project Specific 7001 - 9999

BIM software and CDEs generally have functionality to sort, filter and group files based on
fields or the first few characters or digits in a field, so blocking numbers makes this an ideal
way to manage files.

Volume could be used to differentiate packages of information for tender. Example:

32 is the doors volume, so the following is a detail drawing of a door.

Project Originator Volume/System Level Type Discipline Number

PRJ FRK 32 ZZ DR A 0801

NOTE The revision and suitability status code​ should not ​be appended to the file name as
many CDEs rely on the file name being consistent for version control.

Roles
Where the CDE system permits, roles should be used to grant access to folders or
containers. In addition to the administrator role, the Information Manager should add a role
for each Task Team e.g. Architect, Structural Engineer, etc. Additional roles may be created
for specific functions e.g. BREEAM.
Where possible, folders ​should not​ be granted rights based on individual accounts as this
can become unmanageable as the number of users and folders grows.

Distribution Groups
Distribution Groups allow actions on the CDE to be targeted at the appropriate people. For
example, a Design Team distribution group may be created to ensure all design team
members are notified.

The following information should be recorded for each Distribution Group:

Revision P01 Page 14 of 15

Advice Note on the Common Data Environment (CDE) ​RIAI BIM Committee

● Distribution Groups
● Action
● Length of Time to respond for each action.

The Information Manager should maintain the list of users in each distribution group.

The Action should be 'For Information' for most distribution groups. 'For Comment' should be
selected for individual users when documents are being distributed. Many CDEs send an
email automatically when information is distributed. Options for collating distributions into a
single daily email or receiving notifications for certain actions should be reviewed by the
Information Manager.

CDE Forms
Where possible, forms should be used to automate recording of correspondence especially
where there is a requirement for multiple parties to track progress and ensure decisions are
made in a timely manner. Forms can be used to record and track progress on Requests for
Information (RFI), Technical Submittals, Design Issues and many other types of
correspondence. Some CDE systems will have systems for creating forms and may have
predefined forms for common workflows.

Revision P01 Page 15 of 15