BIM adoption : expectations across disciplines

This chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Facility Management (AEC/FM) industry and a  re-assessment of its role and potential contribution in the near future, given the apparent slow rate of adoption by the industry. The chapter analyses the readiness of the industry with respect to the (1) tools, (2) processes and (3) people to position BIM adoption in terms of current status and expectations
across disciplines. The findings are drawn from an ongoing research project funded by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI) that aims at developing a technological, operational and strategic analysis of adopting BIM in the AEC/FM industry as a
collaboration platform.

Technical features of BIM servers for collaboration on building and construction projects

This paper reviews the technical features and requirements of Building Information Modelling (BIM)-servers as collaboration platforms for multi-disciplinary building and construction projects. Multi-disciplinary collaboration is the norm in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries, especially in complex projects. The widespread adoption of object-oriented Computer-aided Design (CAD) tools that support BIM capabilities has generated greater interest in model based exchange of information across disciplines and consultants who have traditionally collaborated through the frequent exchange of 2D drawings and documents. BIM-servers are collaboration platforms that are expected to provide the technical capability to support this inter-disciplinary exchange of 3D models in addition to intelligent management of the related drawings, documents and other forms of data. Since BIM-servers are a recent technical development a review of their technical features can help further development. This paper serves this objective by providing a review of the technical features and requirements for using BIM-servers as multi-disciplinary collaboration platforms on building and construction projects. The methodologies include focus group interviews (FIGs) with representatives from the diverse AEC disciplines, a case study on a state-of-the-art BIM-server, and a critical review and analysis of current collaboration platforms that are available to the AEC industries. This paper concludes that greater emphasis should be placed on supporting technical requirements to facilitate technology management and implementation across disciplines. Their implications for user-centric technology development in design and construction industry are also discussed.

The water harvesting landscape of Budj Bim and Lake Condah : whither world heritage recognition

In July 2004 the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape was inscribed onto the National Heritage List. The place accorded with the criterion of A. Events, Processes (in demonstrating a place of Indigenous-European colonization conflict), B. Rarity (in demonstrating the context, historical and philosophy of benevolence of Governments to Indigenous people), F. Creative or technical achievement (in demonstrating technical accomplishment in construction the system), and, I. Indigenous tradition (in demonstrating longevity and continuity of cultural practices). Such affords Budj Bim, that hosts a unique Indigenous water harvesting and aquaculture infrastructure system dating some 7,000-10,000 years within a country that the Gunditjmara have managed for some 20,000-50,000 years, national standing. Within the lands gazetted is a complex and multi-faceted system that would today be categorised as a major integrated landscape planning and catchment management scheme that includes demonstrable major site engineering, hydraulic engineering, and aquaculture and water management scientific evidence and process knowledge and application.

Disputes resolution : can Bim help overcome barriers?

Many researchers consider disputes as part of the project lifecycle. Although preventative actions exist, it is not utterly possible to avoid them. Once the disputes arise, an appropriate resolution technique should be adopted. Common perception is referring to a resolution method either internally or via a third party; which may also be binding by law. The resolution process requires attention to the disputed claims. Hence, deep investigation of the claims and choosing the appropriate method is crucial for the successful project delivery and reputation of the industry.

Preparation of disputed claims and resolution process also faces many debates. Conducting To effective dispute resolution requires attention to proper preparation and presentation of the incurred events. All the required information should be acquired to estimate and present the claim, for a smooth settlement. As an integrated digital model of the project, BIM, stores all the information of the projects in detail. Retrieval of the required information for the disputed issues can easily be obtained from the model. It is also possible to embed the construction schedule, change orders and variations, specifications and financial data such as cash flow along with the multidisciplinary drawings. As this model stores all the information at every particular time and phase, disputes can be concluded quick and accurate.

In this research, using a case study and literature review, disputes and resolution processes are deeply studied. A BIM model is created to investigate benefits on overcoming the challenges; during claiming, and resolution of the disputes. It is seen that the claims are prepared faster and more accurate in a visualized environment provided by BIM. Furthermore, substantiating and presenting the disputes for the resolution purpose was incomparable to the traditional methods. The conclusions recommend that; even the project did not adopt a BIM model earlier; it can be created for a smooth process, during claiming and resolution of disputes.

The contribution of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to Green Building Design and Assessment in Abu Dhabi "ESTIDAMA"

Estidama is a mandatory Green Building code in Abu Dhabi by which the compliance of building design is being assessed. This paper examines the current design and assessment approaches for Green Buildings to identify the reasons that lead to delay defects and it investigates a new approach for improvement. The available literature provides a realistic understanding to the problems and shows the road to some potential solutions. The identified problems were mainly attributed to the manual assessment with too much human interference. The piled documents with limited resources left the assessment system too slow to handle the whole projects within the greater Abu Dhabi engendering high risk of the commitment to review mistakes. Therefore, this paper investigates the potentiality of automating several stages via the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) into the assessment process. Different experienced participants from all aspects within the construction industry were interviewed to contribute to the research. Also, a close question questionnaire was distributed to examine the current practice in Abu Dhabi to compare it with the initial findings. The findings point out significant requirements to adopt BIM in the assessment process, such as the availability of proper contracts form to shape the relationship between BIM parties and the readiness of the current system. Hence, the authors suggest a new model that integrates BIM capabilities within the system to accelerate the process and reduce human involvement.

Towards a BIM-based energy rating system

Governments in Australia are faced with policy implementation that mandates higher energy efficient housing (Foran, Lenzen & Dey 2005). To this effect, the National Construction Code (NCC) 2013 stipulates the minimum energy performance for residential buildings as 114MJ/m2 per annum or 6 stars on an energy rating scale. Compliance with this minimum is mandatory but there are several methods through which residential buildings can be rated to comply with the deemed to satisfy provisions outlined in the NCC. FirstRate5 is by far the most commonly used simulation software used in Victoria, Australia. Meanwhile, Building Information Modelling (BIM), using software such as ArchiCAD has gained a foothold in the industry. The energy simulation software within ArchiCAD, EcoDesigner, enables the reporting on the energy performance based on BIM elements that contain thermal information. This research is founded on a comparative study between FirstRate5 and EcoDesigner. Three building types were analysed and compared. The comparison finds significant differences between simulations, being, measured areas, thermal loads and potentially serious shortcomings within FirstRate5, that are discussed along with the future potential of a fully BIM-integrated model for energy rating certification in Victoria. © 2014, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), Hong Kong.

The driving force of government in promoting BIM implementation

The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the greatest technological innovations in the construction industry to date. However, the implementation of BIM lags far behind its potential due to the existence of various barriers. Strong government support is critical for the successful development and deployment of complex technology systems. BIM could seek government support to drive its implementation process and overcome the barriers. Through a survey, this paper aims to discover stakeholders’ expectations of the government role in BIM implementation and explores specific ways for governments to promote BIM implementation. The research findings are expected to assist related departments to accelerate BIM implementation.

Critical barriers to BIM implementation in the AEC industry

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is one of the most significant technological advances in the building design and construction industry to date. Implementation of BIM has increased significantly over the past decade; and it enables the different stakeholders of a construction project to collaborate better throughout its lifecycle, and improves the opportunities to share data and decrease consumption. However, the implementation of BIM lags far behind its potential due to the existence of various barriers. This paper aims at identifying, classifying, and prioritising these barriers to BIM implementation through a survey. The research findings are expected to assist major stakeholders in the construction industry to promote BIM implementation.

Barriers to BIM adoption: Perceptions from Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

This study draws upon a questionnaire survey distributed amongst SMEs in Australia to offer an insight into the main barriers to BIM adoption within Australian SMEs. Based on analyses of 78 completed questionnaires from non-adopters, the main barriers making SMEs shy away from BIM adoption are discussed. The findings show that currently around 42% of Australian SMEs are engaged with BIM. It comes to light that lack of knowledge and resources within SMEs is not a major barrier for Australian SMEs. In essence, the main barriers stem from lack of interests of clients and subcontractors working for SMEs alongside the risks associated with an uncertain return on investment (ROI) for BIM as perceived by key players in SMEs. The study contributes to the field by providing an updated insight into the status quo of BIM in Australian SMEs and spots the main barriers to target for promoting BIM adoption across Australian SMEs.