Building Information Modeling Functions Research Articles

Building Information Modeling Capability in Mitigating Change Orders and Cost Overrun

The Jordanian construction industry faces notable challenges, particularly about variation orders (VOs), contributing to budget overruns and project delays. The Jordan Engineers Association poll in 2020 found that variation orders (VOs) accounted for 23% of cost overruns in construction projects in Jordan. Research undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in 2019 found an average of 948 change orders per year, representing 25.5% of the total value of the projects. Our study introduces a highly tailored evaluation method to gauge the effectiveness of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in addressing these challenges. The study assesses the efficacy of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in diminishing variation orders (VOs) by examining sophisticated BIM functionalities. The study employs an intricate case study and diverse construction project data to construct a model that assesses the capacity of BIM to reduce project modifications and enhance cost efficiency. A novel approach has been devised to enhance the optimization of building information modeling (BIM) in the construction industry of Amman, Jordan. The objective of the concept is to minimize variation orders (VOs) and enhance project management. The study employs research approaches, such as semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, to pinpoint the essential abilities contributing to change orders. After comprehensively analyzing BIM's global and Middle Eastern applications, we created the model. The findings indicate that enhancing Building Information Modeling (BIM) capabilities can effectively mitigate the occurrence of variation orders within Jordan's building sector. The approach promotes the cooperation of stakeholders, sets quantifiable benchmarks, and strategically employs BIM for preliminary risk assessment. This research substantially enhances the productivity and cost-effectiveness of construction projects in Jordan, offering vital insights for professionals and policymakers.

Assessing the implications of BIM on sustainability of construction projects through design risk management

PurposeDesign cost overrun is one of the prominent factor that can impact the sustainable delivery of the project. It can be encountered due to a lack of information flow, design variation, etc. thereby impacting the project budget, waste generation and schedule. An overarching impact of this is witnessed in the sustainability dimensions of the project, mainly in terms of economic and environmental aspects. This work, therefore, aims to assess the implications of a technological process, in the form of building information modelling (BIM), that can smoothen the design process and mitigate the risks, thus impacting the sustainability of the project holistically.Design/methodology/approachThe identified design risks in construction projects from the literature were initially analysed using a fuzzy inference system (FIS). This was followed by the focus group discussion with the project experts to understand the role of BIM in mitigating the project risks and, in turn, fulfilling the sustainability dimensions.FindingsThe FIS-based risk assessment found seven risks under the intolerable category for which the BIM functionalities associated with the common data environment (CDE), data storage and exchange and improved project visualization were studied as mitigation approaches. The obtained benefits were then subsequently corroborated with the achievement of three sustainability dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsThe conducted study strengthens the argument for the adoption of technological tools in the construction industry as they can serve multifaceted advantages. This has been shown through the use of BIM in risk mitigation, which inherently impacts project sustainability holistically.Originality/valueThe impact of BIM on all three dimensions of sustainability, i.e. social, economic and environmental, through its use in the mitigation of critical risks was one of the important findings. It presented a different picture as opposed to other studies that have mainly been dominated by the use of BIM to achieve environmental sustainability.

Exploring the Legal and Contractual Impediments in BIM-based Application: A Systematic Literature Review

Building information modelling (BIM) has been theoretically proven to enhance the integration of design, construction, and operation processes, hence improving the holistic delivery of a construction project. Despite the many initiatives provided by the government across various countries to increase the uptake of BIM in project implementation, previous studies have discovered the many barriers to successfully applying BIM, among which are legal and contractual issues. Hence, the present study explores and reviews the current legal and contractual impediments that have restricted BIM-based applications in the construction industry. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were employed as a standard protocol for reviewing the current research in the existing literature. The overall search process resulted in a total of 44 articles, which were then thematically analysed to disclose the findings. The review derived eight key aspects, namely procurement method, contract documentation, time and cost, quality, coordination, liability, security and law and regulation and their respective subcomponents as the basis of legal and contractual impediments that could challenge the success of BIM application in construction projects. The study extends the existing knowledge of BIM application and the implications arising from its utilisation and offers some practical insights for design and construction practitioners to improve their roles, obligations, and compliance with BIM contractual requirements. Several recommendations are also made for future research on BIM functionalities for contract administration.

Construction management students’ perception of BIM adoption and its implications in a non-mandated country

Building information modeling (BIM) is increasingly being recognized and gradually adopted by the construction industry in India, even though it is still not mandated by the Government. As the demand for trained BIM professionals grows, many educational institutes in India have started including BIM in their respective architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) related curriculum courses, mostly at a beginner level. This study tries to access the perceptions of these AEC students towards various aspects related to the BIM practice and its adoption in India. It aims to provide a reference point, and help bridge the gap between the industrial BIM proficiency requirements, and the institutional BIM teaching-learning approach. As students are the prospective BIM professionals, this study gives important insights for the BIM practice stakeholders to understand the learners’ individual motivation, bias and experience. The methodology consisted of conducting an online questionnaire survey to collect the students’ demography and background data; as well as their perceptions (on a five-point Likert scale) towards BIM benefits, BIM functionalities, BIM as a career option, and challenges to BIM implementation in India. The 188 responses were divided into subgroups and statistically compared based on two-sample t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings are discussed with their possible implications in the academia as well as the industry. The study emphasizes having a better engagement of the academia with the BIM industry and policy makers to develop a synergic BIM learning ecosystem.

Facilitating claims settlement using building information modeling in the school building projects

Claims have a lot of space in construction projects, as they can have a considerable monetary value and thus negatively affect the final amount and duration of the project. This study seeks to suggest a building information modeling (BIM) approach to reduce most of the root causes of claims during the design phase. Thus, claims can be reduced during the project implementation phase. A questionnaire form was designed and distributed to 28 experts to obtain expert opinions on construction claims’ most important causes. In return, data were collected for 128 projects in Iraq, and the reasons for claims were extracted from them. After making the match between experts’ opinions and real projects, it was found that the match rate is high and that there are sixteen critical reasons for construction claims in Iraqi projects. After matching these causes with the BIM functions, a flowchart of each cause is drawn, and the inputs, tools, and outputs of the process are identified. The results showed the ability of BIM to prevent eight significant causes of claims (inaccurate quantities, excessive change orders, errors and design changes, flaws in drawings and specifications, and poor coordination between designers (structural, architectural, MEP)) through these BIM functions (3D visualization, clash detection, coordination, and take-off). The main results applied to a realistic case study show that BIM technology can be used as a precautionary approach during the design stage to reduce claims during implementation by (55.2%) so that the functions of this technology can solve the fundamental causes of claims in the construction projects sector in Iraq.

Implementation of lean practices facilitated by BIM functionalities in the construction phase: advances and opportunities

Abstract Over the past few decades, construction productivity has been at a standstill. Lean and Building Information Modelling (BIM) is attracting increasing interest in the construction industry as a way to increase construction productivity. This paper aims to contribute to the body of knowledge by identifying hitherto unexplored opportunities for the use of BIM functionalities as a support and as facilitators of the application of lean practices in the construction phase. A systematic literature review was adopted as the methodological approach in this research, and reported case studies related to the scope of this paper were searched. The results show that lean practices can be classified into four degrees of BIM support based on the level of current exploration. Just one lean practice (the last planner system) has been extensively explored, three have been reasonably explored, and five have just been preliminarily explored. Five practices have not been explored at all. This research summarises the already studied and the potential additional uses of BIM functionalities to support each lean practice, showing that lean practices supported by BIM functionalities are still underused and that further studies can explore additional ways to support these practices. This study holds great value for a broader practical application of lean practices, bringing faster and easier results with more extensive BIM support.

Building Information Modeling Based Building Sustainability Assessment Framework for Kazakhstan

The use of building information modeling (BIM) for building sustainability assessment (BSA) is a thriving topic within the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Despite the various research approaches to employing BSA with BIM support, the research is limited to the BIM implications of BSA methods in developing countries. This paper presents how BIM can assist the BSA processes in Kazakhstan, using a previously developed building sustainability assessment framework for Kazakhstan (KBSAF). This framework has 46 assessment indicators grouped into nine assessment categories. The categories and assessment indicators of KBSAF were derived considering the regional variations and country-specific differences in the assessment factors. In this paper, BIM functions for BSA were identified through literature review; their applicability for KBSAF was evaluated by mapping the functions with the assessment indicators of KBSAF and a BIM-based BSA framework (BIM-KBSAF) was proposed. The proposed framework was validated through a three-round Delphi survey. One of the results demonstrates that for KBSAF, BIM can assess 24 out of 46 assessment indicators. The proposed framework could serve as a systematic guide to the application of BIM for BSA. Furthermore, it can facilitate the BSA process and save considerable time and effort.

The dynamic evolution of synergies between BIM and sustainability: A text mining and network theory approach

The increasing demand for a sustainable Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has driven research domains integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with sustainability to gain momentum over the past years. While some studies have reviewed the development in these two domains separately, they did not address the important associations between them, nor did they analyze their joint advancement over time. Therefore, this study aims to understand and quantitatively analyze the dynamic evolution of relationships between BIM and sustainability critical towards developing BIM's functionalities to satisfy the industry's growing sustainability needs. First, 523 relevant journal articles published over the last 15 years were collected. Rule-based content analysis is then conducted on these articles using text mining to retrieve and structure relevant textual data pertaining to the six defined dimensions: BIM functionalities, software, sustainability aspects, green certification systems, project phases, and stakeholders. Social network theory is then applied to map and measure the associations between the dimensions' components for analyzing the dynamic changes in their synergies over three spans. Results reveal a significant transformation in the diversity, magnitude, and expansion of associations between BIM and sustainability domains across the supply chain. Findings also highlight less explored areas that require further research and industrial attention towards achieving full use of BIM and sustainability's integrated power. This work's novelty lies in comprehensively and quantitatively analyzing these often-dismissed synergies to reveal through knowledge-based findings how BIM has progressed to address the industry's changing sustainability requirements and recommend future directions for advancing sustainable BIM practices.

BIM for lean building surveying services

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine whether the implementation of building information modelling (BIM) concepts of the various processes involved in building surveying practice can lead to a reduction in waste. In turn leading to a synergy between BIM functionalities and lean production concepts.Design/methodology/approachTo verify and validate the existence of this synergy between the two methods in building surveying, evidences were gathered from previous literature that supports these interactions. Next, a questionnaire was conducted for the purpose of identifying new interactions and providing further evidence to support existing interactions. Finally, based on the findings from previous literature and the results of the questionnaire, an interaction matrix was constructed linking the two concepts with the relevant evidence found.FindingsThe results of the questionnaire show that the BIM functionality with the highest interactions, maintenance of information integrity, had a high correlation with the reduction of variability, cycle time, batch size and promoting standardization of value flow. 4 D model-based scheduling, the second highest functionality, showed a high correlation with the reduction of variability, cycle time, batch size and an increase in the use of visual management. Finally, the results of the interaction matrix between the two concepts showed that the BIM functionalities with the most interactions were maintenance of information integrity, visualization of form and the automated generation of models and documents. The lean principles with the most interactions were reducing variability, cycle time, batch size as well as “enables visual management”. While most of these interactions were positive, negative interactions were also observed. These negative interactions were due to the fact that the level of competency and knowledge in BIM for building surveyors is at reduced levels which can lead to increased human errors.Originality/valueThe significance of this study is to provide the basis for building surveying organizations who wish to implement BIM and how this would lead to a synergy between BIM functionalities and lean principles. Both positive and negative interactions were considered to provide these organizations with different options for waste elimination.

The Last Planner® System and Building Information Modeling in Construction Execution: From an Integrative Review to a Conceptual Model for Integration

Many researchers have stated that lean and building information modeling (BIM) have positive synergies. This integrative literature review aims at exploring this body of knowledge within the scope of combinations of BIM and the Last Planner® System, as an important Lean construction method, in the phase of construction execution. The research motivation is to find out whether a comprehensive understanding of how to take advantage of these synergies exists. Eventually, the question arises of how to condense this understanding—if existing—into a robust conceptual model for integration. As a theoretical backbone, we will make use of the original BIM-Lean interaction matrix. The hypothesis is that new BIM functionalities have been evolved since the first formulation of this interaction matrix almost 10 years ago. These new BIM functionalities cause new interactions with existing lean principles. We will focus on interactions that refer directly or indirectly to production planning and control and use them to find the most relevant literature for this review. Within the content analysis, as a part of this review, we focus on existing conceptual models and frameworks for integration of BIM and the Last Planner® System and reveal their shortcomings. Eventually, we will propose a new conceptual model.

Towards Building Information Modelling for diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation automation for existing buildings

While building information modelling (BIM) developed for new buildings, the majority of existing buildings needs to be maintained, rehabilitated or reconstructed. The promising benefits of BIM motivate the researchers to extend the BIM functionalities for existing buildings. This paper presents a BIM-based computer application that we have developed for diagnosis of concrete structural elements based on a knowledge base acquired from multiple references and the opportunities of BIM technology.

Knowledge, skills and functionalities requirements for quantity surveyors in building information modelling (BIM) work environment: an international Delphi study

ABSTRACTPrevious research studies have identified a lack of skilled personnel and a lack of Building Information Modelling (BIM) knowledge and training as one of the major challenges hindering the adoption of BIM in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Despite the significance of these challenges, there is a dearth of research studies to identify the necessary skills and knowledge to overcome these challenges. A few extant studies in this area focused on general domain skills and knowledge which may not sufficiently suit each domain. This study aims to identify a series of knowledge domains, domain-specific skills, and domain-specific functionalities needed for quantity surveyors to function in a BIM environment and for maintaining sustainable quantity surveying practice in the AEC industry. Delphi survey technique was adopted to aggregate the consensus of experts on knowledge, skills, and functionalities identified from the literature review coupled with experts’ collective reviews and opinions. The survey findings underscored the need for quantity surveyors to be BIM compliant and identified 8 knowledge areas, 7 domain-specific skills, and 9 domain-specific BIM functionalities for the quantity surveyors along with the industry required level of expertise using the cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy. The survey findings will help mitigate possible fears of quantity surveyors as regards BIM adoption in practice and will be useful in the training and assessment of quantity surveyors to efficiently work in a BIM environment.

Industry 4.0 for the Construction Industry—How Ready Is the Industry?

Technology and innovations have fueled the evolution of Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 encourages growth and development through its efficiency capacity, as documented in the literature. The growth of the construction industry is a subset of the universal set of the gross domestic product value; thus, Industry 4.0 has a spillover effect on the engineering and construction industry. In this study, we aimed to map the state of Industry 4.0 in the construction industry, to identify its key areas, and evaluate and interpret the available evidence. We focused our literature search on Web of Science and Scopus between January 2015 and May 2019. The search was dependent on the following keywords: “Industry 4.0” OR “Industrial revolution 4.0” AND TOPIC: “construction” OR “building”. From the 82 papers found, 20 full-length papers were included in this review. Results from the targeted papers were split into three clusters: technology, security, and management. With building information modelling (BIM) as the core in the cyber-physical system, the cyber-planning-physical system is able to accommodate BIM functionalities to improve construction lifecycle. This collaboration and autonomous synchronization system are able to automate the design and construction processes, and improve the ability of handling substantial amounts of heterogeneity-laden data. Industry 4.0 is expected to augment both the quality and productivity of construction and attract domestic and foreign investors.

Site logistics planning and control for engineer-to-order prefabricated building systems using BIM 4D modeling

Abstract There has been a growing demand for engineer-to-order (ETO) prefabricated building systems, in which a unique product must fulfill the requirements of specific clients. Although industrialized building systems can potentially simplify the production process, there is usually a high level of complexity in ETO production systems, such as uncertainty in client demands, short lead-time, overlapping between project stages, and resources that are shared among different projects. In this context, logistics management plays a key role in terms of achieving project goals related to cost, time and safety. This research work proposes the combined use of principles from the Lean Production Philosophy and Building Information Modeling (BIM), as a mechanism to cope with the complexity involved in those types of projects. Although these can be regarded as two separate approaches for improving the performance of production systems in the construction industry, there are evidences that there is much synergy between them. This paper reports the development of a logistics planning and control model for site assembly of ETO prefabricated building systems using BIM 4D modeling. The main theoretical contribution of this research work is the understanding of the synergies between Lean principles and BIM functionalities that are applicable to site logistics management, providing an example of how this body of knowledge can be expanded. This investigation also provides some practical contributions on how to carry out logistics planning and control at different hierarchical levels, with the support of BIM 4D modeling, aligning this process with the Last Planner System of production control. Design science research was the methodological approach adopted in this investigation, and the proposed model was developed and tested in empirical studies carried out in a steel fabricator company that designs, fabricates and assemblies steel structures.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) outsourcing among general contractors

Abstract Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a process used by Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) stakeholders which simulates a construction project in a multi-dimensional digital model and provides multitudes of project benefits from project inception to its occupancy. However, a variety of barriers impede a holistic BIM implementation. Due to these barriers, some general contractors outsource the creation and use of BIM models to specialized Information Technology (IT) firms. Since limited literature currently exists for BIM outsourcing, this study aims to identify BIM outsourcing patterns among the general contractors across the US and the perceived impacts it has on construction projects. Analysis of two-hundred and fifty-two complete responses from general contracting firms determines that 45% of responding companies have outsourced BIM, this signifies that outsourcing has become an important facet of BIM implementation. Data was also collected on company demographics, BIM outsourcing locations, strategic reasons for outsourcing, and various other aspects related to BIM outsourcing. The results indicate that respondents perceive BIM outsourcing as less efficient than in-house BIM implementation. However, continued use of outsourcing for BIM functions also displays the adaptability of the industry in meeting challenges and embracing new technology through alternative methods, despite the potential risks.

Digital Obeya Room: exploring the synergies between BIM and lean for visual construction management

Industrial construction management increasingly needs to integrate processes, technologies, and people to support strategic objectives and seeks to eliminate waste to achieve more efficient results. From this, the synergistic use of building information modeling (BIM) and lean construction (LC) principles can bring continuous improvements to the construction industry. This paper proposes a novel methodology for interdisciplinary management of construction projects by integrating BIM into LC. First, the study presents a literature review of BIM and lean methods and tools. Afterward, the research proposes the Digital Obeya Room framework for visual management of industrial pipelines manufacturing. A real-world application evaluates this new proposal on production planning and control of an industrial construction. From this experiment, the study presents results from a focus group that correlates the applied BIM functionalities and lean principles with the PDCA stages of industrial construction. This paper contributes to planning predictability, integration among stakeholders and usage of lean and BIM for continuous improvement of engineering management.

The use of FTA to evaluate the potential of BIM platform in building rehabilitation

Diversos estudos reconhecem o potencial de intervenções em edifícios existentes, visto que reduzem o consumo de recursos naturais e de novas áreas. No âmbito do desenvolvimento de projetos sustentáveis, a adoção de ferramentas que auxiliem o projeto integrado e trabalho colaborativo, como a plataforma BIM (Building Information Modeling), tem grande potencial para a identificação e proposição de intervenções sustentáveis, tanto em novas construções como em existentes. Um estudo de caso foi realizado sobre o processo de projeto de reabilitação da sede da PETROBRAS, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. O principal objetivo foi identificar o potencial da plataforma BIM na melhoria do desempenho ambiental do edifício – uma das exigências do processo de reabilitação - que considerou como parâmetros os requisitos do sistema de avaliação ambiental AQUA HQE e o Programa Brasileiro de Eficiência Energética PROCEL EDIFICA. Entretanto, houve pouca integração da equipe de projeto através do modelo BIM. Esse artigo apresenta a análise da adoção da Plataforma BIM no projeto de reabilitação do edifício, através do método da Análise de Árvore de Falhas (AAF). Os resultados indicam que o BIM não foi considerado desde o início e a consequência foi a pouca integração do processo de projeto. Entende-se que as funcionalidades do BIM poderiam ter trazido mais dinamismo e integração à gestão do processo de projeto. Portanto, é necessário rever o processo de projeto para incorporar as potencialidades do BIM desde o início do processo, permitindo o trabalho colaborativo.

Building information modeling in construction conflict management

Dispute is recognized as critical cause of deficiency and low performance in construction projects. Plenty of studies have been done in construction dispute management recently; however, there are no studies on construction dispute elimination. This study aims to propose a building information modeling (BIM) approach to control conflict causes before the occurrence of dispute. BIM is one of the latest platforms that promote a high level of collaboration, information sharing, and coordination where its implementation ranges from project initialization to completion stage. The circumstances associating with BIM technology can be utilized to explore the possibilities in conflict and dispute resolution system. Questionnaire surveys are used to collect the primary data. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi attribute utility technique (MAUT) are adopted to develop an algorithm and a decision-making framework to manage and resolve the potential conflict causes, particularly for the Malaysian construction industry. Data analysis emerged that five critical conflict factors in Malaysian construction industry are insufficient monitoring of CPM scheduling and updates requirements; failures to understand and correctly bid or price the works; delay in running bill payment; inadequate contractors’ management, supervision, and coordination; and error and omission in design that are originated from time, cost, quality, and documentation. Further analysis to prioritize BIM functions in construction conflict management has been done by the combination of AHP and MAUT results. Consequently, it is affirmed that clash detection and cost estimating, 4D scheduling, 3D visualization and structure analysis as BIM functions obtained the highest score to control conflicting factors.

The Contributions of Building Information Modelling to Sustainable Construction

Global concerns toward environmental issues have induced growing demand for new approaches in the construction because of its considerable impact on the environment and use of natural resources. Through using construction sustainability tools, methods and techniques, a greener design can be applied during various building phases. In this connection, it is argued that the analytical and integrated models applied by Building Information Modelling (BIM) may also facilitate this process to be performed more efficiently. BIM and construction sustainability are quite different initiatives, but both have received much attention in recent years in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. A rigorous analysis of the interactions between them implies that a synergy exists which, if properly it is understood that can be helpful to reduce the environmental impacts of the AEC industry. A BIM-based design model can contribute to sustainability through its three main dimensions which are environmental, economic and social. In this paper, by reviewing the existing literature on BIM and construction sustainability and using a matrix to analyze construction sustainability dimensions and BIM functionalities a number of interactions have been discussed. It can be concluded that despite there are many improvements in implementation of BIM in environmental and economic aspects of sustainability, its potential impact on social dimension has not been explicitly explored hence further studies need to be undertaken in this area.

Developing a BIM-Based Process-Driven Decision-Making Framework for Sustainable Building Envelope Design in the Tropics

There is a rising concern for sustainability in the built environment. Therefore, numerous sustainable building certification and rating systems are developed throughout the world. However, the current methods of measuring, predicting, and optimising the sustainable building design have relied on a number of disjointed analyses to meet the discrete requirements for various building systems. The recent development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology allows complicated building modelling to be digitally constructed with precise geometry and accurate information to support various building project stages. Thereby, this study aims to integrate decision-making (DM) for sustainable building envelope design with BIM functionalities by considering the tropical climatic contexts in Malaysia. Several regional sustainable building certification systems and related literature were reviewed to identify the importance of evaluation and DM criteria. The findings were then compared with various BIM tools in terms of their applications, functions and workflows, in order to formulate a process-driven BIM-based DM framework (DMF) for sustainable building design in Malaysia. The proposed DMF will address the difficulties of DM in the early design development process, and will also allow for specific trade-off analyses of sustainability and objective-based optimisation using BIM.