Thirty-four construction professionals recently received a first-ever national accreditation in the use of building information modeling. The new professional accreditation, which is being offered by the Associated General Contractors of America, is the first assessment-based credential to recognize construction professionals on their ability to use the BIM process.

Nearly three dozen construction professionals nationwide tested successfully to receive the new professional accreditation, the Certificate of Management-Building Information Modeling (CM-BIM). Candidates first had to complete the BIM Education Program, a series of four courses the association developed to help construction professionals learn the use the construction process. To date, more than 3,800 professionals across the country have entered the association’s education program.

“The thing that has always interested me about construction was working with other building disciplines, to make an incredible construction project emerge with all aspects of the job being thought through,” said Luis Berumen of San Antonio-based Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, one of the professionals to complete the certification process. “Getting credentialed means that I can be considered a trusted source of all things BIM-related for my company, and for our clients.”

The education program and assessment-based certificate were developed by a group of industry experts assembled by the association. The assessment is administered by approved testing centers at nine of the association’s chapters: the AGC of Metropolitan Washington DC, the Nebraska Building Chapter, the San Antonio Chapter of AGC, the AGC of Wisconsin, the AGC of St. Louis, the Houston Chapter-AGC, Master Builders Association of Western Pennsylvania, the Maryland AGC and the AGC of Michigan. The association plans to add new centers on a regular basis.

“This new credential is a way to recognize professionals who have demonstrated a real mastery of the building information modeling process,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “It is yet another way that this association is helping the construction industry embrace new methods project delivery.”

Sandherr added that the association plans to make continuous updates to the education program and the assessment to make sure it keeps pace with technology developments.