Jurisdiction Guide to Adoption and Recognition of Digital Seals

This is the last in a series of three projects initiated by Fiatech designed to identify, reduce, and/or remove barriers to the adoption and use of digital signatures and seals.

This project focuses specifically on the global challenge of changing from the current requirement of using only wet seals for all building construction related documents that must be submitted for regulatory oversight and approval.

The project builds on the work of the other two projects in the Digital Signatures and Seals series, which are:

• “Practical Deployment Strategy for Digital Signatures and Seals in Fully Electronic AEC Processes".
• “Digital Signature Survey and Best Practices Guide” (scheduled for completion in September 2013).

Benefits

At present, 42 U. S. states recognize digital seals for engineering documents, but only 24 recognize them for architectural plans submitted for building plan review or submission in government contracts. Internationally, seals are generally recognized throughout Europe, but not in the developing world. Canadian provinces have varying laws and standards recognizing digital seals.

This project will provide the construction industry, elected officials, and building regulators a tool through which they can work to reduce the number of jurisdictions worldwide that do not accept digital seals.

The benefits include significant reductions in time and cost of producing documents for final formal government approval. Digital seals and signatures also will save significant time, and produce positive environmental impacts that will reduce both the use of paper and the cost expended each year in shipping paper documents for government approval.

Acceptance of digital seals also will increase the number of jurisdictions using the output from the Fiatech AutoCodes project, which is working on an automated code checking tool for 3D/BIM.

Opportunities/Status

This project will begin in May 2013 and is open to all current members of Fiatech and Fiatech partners. Following the kick-off session, a work project team will be formed and will produce a project plan.

Fiatech Staff Project Manager

Bob Wible, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project Lead

Ron Loback, Avolve Software

Participating Companies

Target, Kaiser Permanente, Computecture, AVEVA, Hatch, ARX, Solibri, and Avolve Software

Deliverables

Deliverables will include a survey of current jurisdictions recognizing digital seals and production of the guide.

Completion Date

December 2013