The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the global economy, yet its challenges remain significant. The sector is labor intensive and has deeply defined processes in the physical realm. Low efficiency, construction delays and high costs are some of the aspects that provide opportunities for improvement. Digital transformation is the lever that can propel this sector into its next wave of growth. This is where Building Information Modeling (BIM) comes into the picture.
BIM provides the possibility to display the entire project in its full glory, covering all elements of design and construction, right in the pre-construction phase. Access to information at every stage has profound ramifications for the time it takes to complete and the overall costs incurred. Real-time information about a project fosters deep collaboration among stakeholders, helps them anticipate risks, and reduces the possibility of errors.
BIM can be implemented in different phases covering eight dimensions, which translate into information for all stakeholders at different depths.
State of BIM in the USA
With expenditures amounting to more than $1,293 billion, the United States is one of the largest construction markets worldwide. After a pandemic-led pause, the sector is expected to pick up again with expected growth in the healthcare, commercial and transportation sectors starting in 2021. Housing demand is steadily rising, with multi-family residential projects picking up. Speed.
Managing this increase in workload without a significant drop in productivity will require appropriate technologies. It is quite clear that Building Information Modeling (BIM) can provide solutions to many of these current challenges. Construction companies in the USA started implementing BIM in the 1970s, but the rate of adoption has been rather slow.
Even with an expected growth rate of 15.6% in 2021, the sector does not yet have a BIM mandate at the national level. In 2003, the US General Services Administration created the National 3D-4D-BIM Program which included a mandate to certify BIM for public building projects. Among the states, Wisconsin was the first to implement a BIM mandate for public construction projects with a budget of $5 million or more.
The mandate of BIM in the United States has been difficult because there is no single federal agency that can plan and authorize BIM for all public projects. Without a mandate, adoption of BIM is likely to be slower because it will depend on the relationship between builders, contractors, architects, and other stakeholders.
For BIM adoptione to grow, we must think of BIM beyond it use as a designs tools and explore the depths of information models provide. Information at every stage of construction enables enhanced control over the entire project, reduced errors and risks, optimal costs, improved safety and logistics, and faster completion. Besides, BIM can be used in many construction arenas including highway and road engineering, rail and metro transportation engineering, landscape and land development, tunnel and subway engineering, naval and marine architecture,
Even if a global mandate is not possible, gradual implementation will work for the benefit of the nation with federal buildings leading the way for BIM implementation. The government should improve delegation based on its own experience with BIM. Besides, a mandate governing construction projects in the private sector may also be beneficial, particularly based on building height, size, complexity or environmental impact. Regular revisions of the US National BIM Standard (NBIMS-US) will lead to the adoption of BIM as a comprehensive visualization, construction simulation and facilities management tool for any project.
While implementing the mandate may take time in the United States, defining BIM standards can facilitate faster adoption.
BIM adoption worldwide
With the increasing demand for urban planning and smart cities, many countries are moving faster towards adopting BIM models.
Scandinavian countries Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark were among the early adopters of BIM. In 2007, Finland implemented IFC compliance and BIM accreditation for all public construction projects. Similarly, Norway adopted the BIM mandate for its government projects in 2010, followed by Denmark in 2011 and Sweden in 2015. In 2016, Norway participated in the BIM Open Certification.
The Swedish Standards Institute has published a series of guides with the aim of promoting BIM in the country since 1991, while starting in 2014, BIM Alliance Sweden brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, to find further resources and support for innovation in construction.
The UK has also been a leader when it comes to BIM adoption. In 2011, the UK government was aiming
etc. UK as a leader in this sector. And so in 2016 the UK implemented a BIM Tier 2 mandate for all public construction projects. While Portugal and Spain are already working hard on BIM, France and Germany have decided to gradually introduce BIM in the past two years.
These leading countries share a common goal: to digitize the construction industry to help reduce costs and ensure sustainability. The strong mandate of BIM helps achieve this goal and build a smart nation.
Shouldn't the USA deal with BIM too? What do you think?