Partner, Attorney, Poul Schmith

The use of Plant Design Management Systems for collaboration has become an integrated part of the planning, designing, construction and operation of offshore wind or oil and gas projects. This article addresses certain critical aspects of 3D models and PDMS in offshore construction projects, focusing on the contractual regulations required to manage these digital tools effectively.

The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM), especially through use of three-dimensional (3D) models for design and construction has been an integrated part of the onshore construction industry for many years. Certain parts of the offshore construction industry have been using similar digital tools for an even longer period and seem, to some extent, more accustomed to 3D model usage compared to traditional onshore construction projects. Despite this, the contracts related to offshore projects typically contain surprisingly little regulation when it comes to how to manage 3D models for the purpose of the project. This especially applies when the 3D models are to be part of a Plant Design Management System (PDMS) to coordinate work between several 3D models.