Streamlining Tunnelling Projects through BIM

Abstract

Currently, most academic discourse looking at the advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is kept very general. This article evaluates how the use of BIM affects social and economic aspects of seven different tunneling projects. The analysis is based on internal project documentation and on-site visits, resulting in the authors subjective perception. Due to a confidentiality policy given by ongoing projects, the official documentation is anonymised. On one hand, the social analysis considers teamwork aspects. On the other hand, the economic assessment considers the optimised use of resources. The conclusion shows that the correct and complete implementation of all methods and tools from BIM increase social and economic sustainability, optimising project delivery in tunneling. As a result, among other things, on par communication, teambuilding, and mutual appreciation contribute to an increased social sustainability. Economic sustainability is directly associated with resulting short distances within the team and easy communication and coordination. Consequently, this leads to faster problem solving and a streamlined project execution.