Facilitating Building Information Modelling (BIM) using Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): A UK perspective

Abstract

The Construction industry is a major player in the UK economy and is in need of continuous improvement. In an attempt to do so, in 2011 the UK government made Building Information Modelling (BIM) level 2 a mandate for all public projects by 2016. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a project delivery approach closely attributed to BIM. However, it does not seem to have received proportionate level of attention and uptake in the UK. The research into reciprocal impacts of BIM and IPD are few and far between and non-existent in the UK construction context. This research investigates if and how IPD can facilitate BIM implementation in the UK. Capitalizing on relativist ontology, the study uses a mixed methodology to gauge industry experts' perception of the barriers to BIM implementation and uptake and the barriers to what constitutes IPD principles based on what has been found in the literature. The research findings support the hypothesis that IPD does help overcome barriers to collaboration, improve early involvement of the key participants and enhance the level of trust among key stakeholders; thereby helping eliminate the barriers to implementation of BIM. The research has also identified the main barriers to implementing IPD, which if overcome, could improve construction performance in terms of cost, time, efficiency and productivity in the UK by defragmenting parties through its multi-party agreement structure, facilitating BIM, enhancing parties’ early involvement and collaboration through its inherent BIM contractual principles. The findings suggest that IPD can facilitate better and wider uptake of BIM in the UK construction industry.