Key factors for the BIM adoption by architects: a China study

Abstract

Purpose – There has been a growing attention to building information modeling (BIM) globally due to its benefits to various stages of a building’s life cycle. To facilitate the implementation of BIM in the construction industry effectively, the purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the mechanism for BIM adoption by practitioners such as architects. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey of architects is conducted in Shenzhen, China. A structural equation model is built with survey data to identify the key factors affecting architects’ BIM adoption in the design firms. Findings – It is found that motivation, technical defects of BIM and BIM capability are the statistically significant factors affecting architects’ BIM adoption whereas management support and knowledge structure are not. Research limitations/implications – Only one architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) profession, i.e. architects were selected as research participants. In future, other professions such as construction engineers, project managers, etc. should be investigated with respect to their BIM adoption issues. Practical implications – BIM technology developers should improve the technology along the objectives of economic benefits, effectiveness and efficiency of BIM adoption. The compatibility and integration between BIM and other widely available software in the industry should also be improved. Moreover, AEC company and project managers should provide architects with opportunities of BIM training so that architects are more likely to apply BIM in future projects. Originality/value – A quantitative theoretical model, i.e. structural equation model is built to identify key factors affecting architects’ BIM adoption, which takes one step further to reveal the BIM adoption mechanism in contrast to previous descriptive-oriented studies.