AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON THE BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING MATURITY LEVEL: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has undergone a profound transition and achieved significant progress in embracing technological improvements and transforming the current system. Building information modeling (BIM) is one of the leading forces behind Construction 4.0. The adoption of BIM in the UAE AEC industry has gained significant attention in recent years, with major projects increasingly using BIM due to directives from the Dubai Municipality and Abu Dhabi Municipality. Yet, the effective implementation of fully integrated BIM requires meeting specific criteria and has proven to be a challenge in the sector context. This study analyzes the existing BIM maturity models that could be applied within the UAE AEC industry. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the current BIM maturity model, challenges, and barriers. It was followed by analyzing the selected international BIM maturity models to identify the gap. The main finding showed that the main obstacles to the effective implementation of BIM in the UAE AEC industry identified through the literature review were the need for a clear and comprehensive legal framework and a maturity model, more standardization, and the need for trained professionals. However, despite all the initiatives undertaken by the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to support digital transformation in the AEC sector, implementation remains to be confined to BIM Level 2 in the case of Dubai and BIM Level 3 in the case of Abu Dhabi infrastructure projects.