Challenges Facing the Implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) Techniques in Iraq.

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology is a modern technology in the construction industry that has seen widespread and implementation in construction projects around the world in recent years. Developing countries trying to follow up on the newly developed methods and technologies in terms of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Iraq is one of these countries that depends on the traditional methods for design and managing construction projects. This paper aims to review and analyze the most important constraints and challenges (barriers) that stand against the implementation of BIM technology in the AEC industry of Iraq. This paper is part of an ongoing master thesis that in dedicated to the application of BIM technology in the Iraqi AEC industry. A comprehensive literature review has been made beside a face-to-face interview with specialists in the AEC industry along with a questionnaire survey directed to the specialists involved in the process of building and construction and some expert academic parties. The reliability has been approved statically, and the analysis showed that the most influential barriers are lack of demand, lack of authority’s support, absence of a national standard for BIM, lack of experts, and the social and habitual resistance to change. The results gained were discussed and compared to the previous studies. More effort must be taken by authorities to overcome these barriers to improve the AEC industry and to take BIM techniques into implementation in Iraq.