The Arklow-based company now has the ability to import engineered floors and roofs designed by sister company Alexanders Timber Design (which uses Alpine VIEW software) into one building information model.

Alpine VIEW and hsbCAD are each components of ITW Industry’s Instinct BIM solution.

"We see BIM becoming a vital tool in the business going forward with its government backing and ability to simplify the co-ordination of projects with Alexanders and other third parties," said Brendan Flanagan, DTE’s chief executive officer.

The government wants to see collaborative 3D BIM on its projects by 2015.

ITW says its Instinct package will eliminate the problematic practice of repeatedly redrawing the building envelope during a building’s design. Using BIM, architects, designers, engineers and estimators can keep all parties up to date with latest project revisions using a shared BIM.