BIM in Malaysian Construction Industry: Status, Advantages, Barriers and Strategies to Enhance the Implementation Level

Aftab Hameed Memon,Irfana Memon,Nur Iffah Aqilah Azman,Ismail Abdul Rahman

doi:10.19026/rjaset.8.1012

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a new approach of construction design. It does not only facilitate the digital representation for designs but also provides all the necessary information for any project before it is constructed. Despite this advantage, the adoption of BIM in Malaysian construction is very low. Motivated by this, current study has focused on assessing current status of BIM implementation in Malaysian construction industry. It has also investigated advantages and disadvantages together with barriers to implementations of BIM and proposing effective strategies for enhancing the BIM implementation in construction industry. Investigation was done through survey where 150 questionnaire forms were distributed and 95 completed forms received back were analyzed with Average Index (AI) and Relative Importance Index (RII) method. Findings of the study revealed that the rate of BIM implementation in construction industry is very low. Major advantages of BIM are improved scheduling, improved drawing coordinated, controlling time and cost and singe detailed model. Enhanced collaboration, requires coordinated drawing, interoperability are the major disadvantages and limitations of BIM. Major barriers to low level of BIM implementation are lack of competent staff to operate the software, unawareness of the technology and non availability of parametric library. Provision of trial software, training of construction staff and introducing of BIM in university curriculum are very effective strategies in enhancing the implementation of BIM.

Highlights

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is relatively new era in the construction industry and rarely used in local construction of Malaysia
BIM has been proved a beneficial technique in construction industry which has enabled practitioners in reducing uncertainties and achieving successful completion of a project
The advantages experienced by the use of BIM and barriers to BIM implementation are identified

Summary

Introduction

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is relatively new era in the construction industry and rarely used in local construction of Malaysia. In Malaysian construction industry, the implementation of BIM is very slow. This slow implementation is caused by the human itself and technical barrier, known as internal and external barrier. This study aims to assess true picture of BIM applications in Malaysian construction industry. Subsidizing the price of BIM software is fourth ranked effective strategy and is agreed by the contractor group of respondents. While client ranked it as second most effective strategy and consultant group of respondents have ranked this strategy at fifth position in enhancing BIM applications in construction industry. For improving the level of implementing BIM in Malaysian industry, a flexible training program of BIM for all practitioners must be created

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