BCN 5470 Construction Productivity

Semester Paper
Name: Andres Cedeno

Implementation and use of BIM to improve construction productivity

Introduction:
Conventionally, the most used mean for the Designer to deliver drawing
information about a construction project to owners and contractors has been
through 2D (two-dimensional) paper-based representations. While these are
capable of representing important details and project information in a fairly
concise fashion, it is necessary to have a certain amount of experience and
technical familiarity to properly elaborate the drawings. Additionally, the
relative difficulty of displaying a 3D view of a project in a 2D representation
is unpractical in relation to the time necessary to comprehend the
information, mistakes happening among drawings and imaginable
misunderstandings between each of them. Its also clear that nonprofessionals might have struggle in comprehending professional drawings,
which could evidence a nearly impossible task to do without professional
involvement.
By the coming and development of economically feasible information
technology, modern methods have been established to increase information
output and sharing within construction industry. Having this technology and
its uses for 3D modeling, 4D representation, likewise known as 4D
scheduling, it blends 3D graphical representation of a construction model
and at the same the time aspect of a project schedule, which let us analyze
and view construction operations chronologically as a virtual reproduction,
with the model enclosing consistent, time-based and three-dimensional
based aspects.
In consideration to the information discussed above lets introduce the
concept called BIM (Building Information Modelling); which is a
groundbreaking idea which appeared over the past years. BIM was
acknowledged as the time to come standard method that Architectural,
Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry will use to deliver construction
projects. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the procedure of producing
and controlling data about a building throughout its entire lifespan. Where
4D was mainly meant for the contractor inside a project, because it

integrated the time aspect of the project schedule; BIM can be implemented
to various project participant roles, starting from the design phase to the
facility management phase.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is by far of the most capable
technologies within the AEC industries. BIM has become a main subject for
the construction project participants including owner, designer, consultant
and contractor. The most useful part is that participants must share and
exchange information throughout the construction project lifespan. At
present, the traditional approach hinge on paper-based methods of
communication. Mistakes and exclusions in paper documents often cause
unexpected field expenses, delays, and subsequent claims amongst the
different participants within the project team. These disputes cause
antagonism, financial stress and delays. Within the BIM approach, the
information is integrated into building models provided the Building models
have integrated more and accurate information. The performance of the
project participants will empower rapidly, reduce errors and decrease cost.
The Construction Industry Institute conveys that for an average construction
project, approximately 1% of its gross budget is expended on monitoring the
status of construction activity (Hardin, 2009). Additionally the currently,
traditional approach depends on the paper-based means of communicating.
Mistakes and exclusions in paper documents frequently trigger unexpected
field expenses and delays. We will discuss in this paper approaches for
monitoring the status of the construction project for the owner and the
barriers limiting the widespread adoption of technology.
BIM-Based Construction Project Monitoring Structure
The construction project's life cycle can be partitioned into three phases:
preconstruction, construction, and post construction. Preconstruction phase
includes the programming stage, the conceptual design stage, and the
documentary stage. In this phase, the project owner has to clearly identify
information that should be included into BIM models, which can be
represented by multiple categories.
The overview of the Construction Project Monitoring Structure resides on two
participants: owner and designer. The owner is a crucial player in this
structure. The Owner is conditioned to produce building project and choosing
the construction manager (CM) to be representative of the owner.
Subsequently to choosing a CM, the owner is setting up the BIM-Construction
Monitoring Data Base in the owner office and construction site office. The
designer is selected by the owner to satisfy the owner requirements. The
designer is also setting up the BIM-Designing Data Base in their office.

The BIM-Designing data Base is connected to BIM-Construction Monitoring

Data Base at the owner office. The BIM-Designing data Base and The BIMConstruction Monitoring Data Base at the owner office are using identically
file naming system that composed of three disciplines: Architecture,
Structural and MEP.
Preconstruction stage

The structure consists of three phases of the project life cycle. The first
phase is Preconstruction that comprises two parts: the Designing part and
Project monitoring preparing part:
The design part is primarily responsibilities that the designer has to
accomplish to owners requirements. The design team is composed by the
Architect, Structural Engineer, the MEP Engineer and Administration team
that are working together in the BIM-Designing data Base. The BIM-Designing
part structure consists of five steps. First of all, Owner identifies necessary
information for project monitoring. Second, the owner establish an
information pack for project monitoring to the designer. Next, the designer
creates a package of information to BIM-Designing data Base and sharing in
their teams. After the design finished the owner comes to check BIM-Model
that is completely composed of the necessary information for project
monitoring. Finally, the BIM-Models is completed fulfil to the owner
requirement, the designer transfers BIM-Models from the BIM-Designing data
Base to the BIM-Construction Monitoring Data Base, at the owners office. The
illustrated as below is showing the structure of five steps that is described in
above.

The organization of project monitoring part is mostly duties of CM

(construction management) as a representative of the owner. The CM has to
administer BIM-Models that are transferred from the designer into the BIMConstruction Monitoring Data Base at the owner office. The preparation of
project monitoring part structure consists of five steps. First, The CM obtains
BIM-Model from the designer. After that, the CM creates a BIM-Project in the
BIM-Construction Monitoring Data Base at the owners office. Following, The
BIM-Master model is created in the BIM - project. Then, the BIM-models are
connected to BIM-Master model and setting construction phases. Finally, the
BIM-Master model is shared to the owners site office for use in the
construction stage.

Construction phase
The construction phase is the second phase of the BIM-Based Construction
Project Monitoring Structure. This stage contains two parts, the first part is
gathering and updating information and the second part is updated progress
report.
The collecting and updating information part is mainly part of this structure
for monitoring construction progress. In this part, the CM has to collect and
update the information every week. The collecting and updating information
part is ten steps as illustrated. Initially all of the BIM-Master model files are
imported from the BIM-Construction Monitoring Data Base at the construction
site office to tablet PCs. Then the CM use a tablet PC that carries all of BIMMaster models into the construction building site and chooses the selected
construction project phase that is under construction. After that selects
object to fill-in and update information.

The project progress reports part is the last part of the structure that shows
the results of combined and analysis information that has been updated in
the previous parts. The project progress report uses the BIM-Master model
file to combine the updated BIM-Recorded model files from various
disciplines and uses Excel for analyze the information to show current state
of the project such as percent of completed, percent of uncompleted, in
progress items, total cost, actual site image and etc.

The report is developed in two sites that are the owners office and the site
office. The final updated BIM-Record model file is provided by site office into
a directory in BIM-Construction Monitoring Data Base at the owners office,
which the BIM-Central model and analysis tools can access to the model and
obtain information to elaborate the current state of the construction progress
report.

Operation using BIM technologies

Comprehension of the obstacles restraining the extensive acceptance of this
technology is essential in elaborating approaches for overcoming them.
Consequently, the main drawbacks are further examined and related to
existing industry-related problems.

1. Comprehension of business cost of BIM:

Deficiency of palpable benefits has been stated by both designers and

contractors when answering to possible restrictions to applying BIM usage.
Between time and cost have been involved within the issue since they are
directly related. The majority of contractors and designers perceived that the
price of hardware, software and education, in addition to the related time to
train to apply the procedures, are main reasons.
On the other hand, as with new technology or idea, it has become critical
that gains be greater than efforts required and that a return on investment is
generated, with usually a number of cost-benefits analysis being done either
directly or indirectly. It is imperative that benefits are perceived as adding
worth to the project and organization instead of generic benefits. The nature
and far-reaching project welfares given by BIM planning, make them
considerably challenging to justify quantitatively and thus prove value in a
noticeable way. The scientific and monetarily orientated civil and
construction industry may find it hard to support spending based on
qualitative benefits. Scarce sources mention quantitative advantages, with
the ones that do, being vague at the time of providing methods. Lacking
more certain quantified benefits it is improbable that funds and resources
will be designated to the practices.
Also, if a return on investment is not projected on the original project to
which funds are assigned, at that moment implementation is not likely to
happen. In a very young article by Collier and Fischer [1], the authors state
that if the benefits of BIM planning can be confirmed then insurance
companies may begin to offer lower insurance rates to companies that use
it. Nearly 20 years after that statement, there are still indistinctness about
the worth of BIM and 4D. Nevertheless, there have been a few studies which
tried to develop measure key performing indicators in order to validate the
business worth of BIM planning.
Dawood and Sikka [2] established a listing of key performance indicators
(KPIs) for the construction industry in relation to the application of BIM
planning, which the use of BIM at the pre-construction and construction
stage. The authors recognized potential performance factors, from literature
and research, which can produce measureable data. Later, they ran
questionnaire surveys and interviews on project managers and designers
within the construction industry and recognized KPIs to quantify benefits
from BIM planning. These entered KPIs quantifying schedule performance (on
time completion); safety (for example number of accidents per 1000man hrs.
worked); owner approval (example: number of clients change orders) and
communication efficiency (for example number of meetings per week and
time spent on meetings). At that point they measured these KPIs for the next
2 years in projects, where BIM planning was employed, in order to

quantitatively determine the BIM planning benefits on construction. This

method was all-inclusive, though it did not openly explain the other factors
which must be separated in order to compare benefits achieved with use of
BIM planning. In effect, key performance indicators, in order to be used in
construction as a measurement tool, require to be properly defined with all
important assumptions, since construction projects are at all times unique
and simultaneously dependent to numerous factors which can impact their
results. This can be very demanding at the early stages; yet, records of past
data and valid assumptions may guide to more accurate metrics in upcoming
years.
These studies are appropriate efforts of the trail of showing the commercial
worth of BIM. On the other hand, there is a long road to go in this subject as
the trustworthiness of measures will be determined by the gathering of large
groups of data and the competence of correlating the KPIs to the use of BIM
by separating all other factors associated to the individuality of projects in
construction. Finally, these attempts are necessary to show the value of the
technology to all stakeholders in addition to the critical disconnection
between organizations involved in the supply chain.

2. Experience deficiency of Labor:

Labor force experience is a vital aspect when determining whether to put
into operation a new technology since without suitable specialists, wanted
outcomes cannot be accomplished. Undeniably, absence of experience
creates a vicious circle as without experience the techniques will not be
employed and without using the technique those people will not be taught or
acquire experience. It is deemed that a first step in growing levels of
experience is to rise levels of consciousness through formal education, which
all technical engineering specialists undertake to accomplish their needed
minimum qualifications. Consequently, concept encouragement within higher
education societies is crucial, along with requests for syllabus addition. This
would need close by collaboration between educational facilities, industry
and institutional organizations such as the Institutions of Civil Engineers
(such as ACI, ABC, NAHB, etc.).
In addition, greater consciousness within the construction industry may offer
a form of internal promotion and publicizing, letting insight to be shared with
more senior employees. Certainly, other researchers have come to a similar
conclusion concerning intensifying university courses when debating an
imaginable industry skills gap with respect to BIM planning. Nowadays,
schools such as University of Florida, Georgia Tech, University of Southern
California, Montana State University and Stanford University have all applied

BIM programs and are considered forerunners in BIM education. Globally,

there are around 100 schools introducing BIM into syllabi, of which 75 are in
the United States and only 28 in other countries such as Australia, Denmark,
Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Israel.
Nevertheless, there are important restrictions in the way BIM has been
presented in universities. A small number of universities are known to have
employed BIM in multidisciplinary teaching environments. Although
consciousness is a vital step in the education process in the direction of BIM
planning experience, there is yet a hole in BIM education in terms of
providing future professionals with multi-disciplinary skills which go further
than awareness to provide them real skills to face the real world challenges.

3. Scarcity of widespread usage:

The absence of widespread usage is another vicious circle, which is still
growing and constraining the widespread of 4D and especially BIM planning.
In effect, when companies use lack of widespread usage as an reason for
not implementing the technologies they are further propagating the
argument. This reason for reduced implementation is completely
comprehensible and rational particularly when it comes to the fact that
greatest benefits can be achieved when the technology is implemented by
majority of stakeholders. Undeniably, much of the texts show up the
advantages and necessity for multi-stakeholder contribution into use of the
concepts to gain maximum benefits. Everyone must be committed to
become BIM efforts meaningful. On the other hand, this may be used as a
plain excuse for why the concepts have not been applied. Whichever way, a
way out to this issue may be challenging to achieve.
Preferably, an internal or external impulse or promote force is necessitated
by an influential party to initiate the use throughout a project or the industry
in general. From findings of surveys it is being noted by some contractors,
that their entry point and authority in a project does fluctuate depending on
the contract type and project delivery method making widespread instigation
more of a recommendation than a demand. Consequently, the ideal project
role from which to motivate the use of unconventional technology such as 4D
or BIM planning, could be from the clients position. On the other hand, it has
been debated that owners are deficient in the knowledge required to put into
operation the advanced technologies.
Certainly, within the McGraw-Hill Construction [3] report, 55% of companies
not using BIM stated that absence of client demand was the reason.
Moreover, it was also stated that when clients demand its use it
immediately gains a level of value to users and that contractors are

particularly persuaded by owner demand. From this analysis, it is apparent

that the client portrays, or has the ability to act, as an important protagonist
in the use of 4D and BIM planning within the industry. Yet, there are barriers
to overcome such as there being a proper level of knowledge between clients
and promoting in the use of these technologies.

4. Opposition to make changes:

Opposition to change in some way was denoted by a large quantity of law
cases and could be an important barrier to putting into practice BIM
planning. Within investigation, relations have been illustrated between
employment of BIM in the construction industry and employee refusal to go
along with it. BIM panning was generally acknowledged as a troublesome
technology in design; In such a perspective, the extensive field of
management of change theories, extensively known in addressing
troublesome changes, have to be studied and fitted to the construction
industry, assumed the scale that BIM impacts on multiple stakeholders
across the entire supply chain and project phases. Additionally to the
management of change theories, there is an essential necessity to formulate
and reengineer current processes into new processes that could match BIM
workflows.

5. Type of Contract and type of Project Delivery:

Regarding integration of contractors inside the design phase of a project,
numerous surveyors affirmed it depended of contract types. The contrariety
is that while both stakeholders and conceptions such as 4D and BIM planning
demand project integration, the general project delivery systems often
prevents this from occurring. The traditional project delivery method,
recognized as Design-Bid-Build (DBB), has a limited intersection between
designers and contractors and consequently combination and cooperation
are insignificant. Furthermore, problematic and antagonistic relationships can
start amongst designers and contractors. A delivery method of this kind is
not suitable for the use of 4D and BIM planning since combination,
communication and teamwork are essential to success.
An alternate delivery method is the Design and Build method (D&B). The
D&B method requires a single party to be in charge for both design and
construction processes; designers and contractors are then persuaded to
collaborate and work together on the way to project completion.

The Design-build method was established to establish responsibility for

design and construction into a sole contracting entity and to simplify the
management of responsibilities for the owner. Through the D&B process the
client take part into a single contract with the D&B Contractor, which then
utilizes the necessary stakeholders as associates or subcontractors. Technical
stakeholders consequently turn into partners rather than separate project
parties. Contractual problems as well as legal disputes were extensively
acknowledged in the literature as being main obstacles to accomplish BIM
adoption. On the other hand, insufficient investigation has been completed in
this topic in particular with regards to the legal issues and disputes.
Based on the results of the survey, which identified the barriers affecting the
implementation of BIM and 4D in the UK construction industry, and the
results of the review of initiatives from the scientific literature attempting to
lower or overcome the barriers identified, a map of driving and restraining
forces was produced to summarize the current situation.
As follow we have summarized and put in contrast in a table the possible
driving forces that make BIM implementation and the restraining forces
which make BIM implementation challenging.

Conclusions:
The impact of BIM in the AEC industry is related to integration and
collaboration improvements, which will lead to better, cheaper and faster

ways of developing AEC projects. The main impact of BIM goes beyond
current well known improvements.
The topics discussed within this paper presented that non-technical
obstacles, such as the incompetence to measure the substantial advantages
of BIM and 4D and absence of awareness by investors and entities, in
particular the clients, are having an effect on widespread usage of BIM and
4D in a greater extent than the technical obstacles which were mentioned by
surveyors and researchers barely in limited cases, regardless of present-day
research principally focusing on technical improvements.
Taking in consideration and summarizing what has been discusses in this
paper, we can conclude as an opinion that it is very important that research
and advances are also pointed to non-technical facets such as education,
teaching, key performance measurements and process execution strategies,
given that unless the gap amongst technology, end-users and their practices
are bridged, usage of BIM planning and its implementation will remain to be
restricted.

References:
[1] E. Collier, M. Fischer, Four-dimensional modelling in design and
construction, Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University,
1995.
[2] N. Dawood, S. Sikka, Development of 4D based performance indicators
in construction industry, Engineering, Construction and Architectural
Management, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 438-458, 2009.
[3] McGraw-Hill Construction, SmartMarket Reports: The business value of
BIM in Europe, Eds. H.M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill Construction, 2010.
Hardin, B. (2009). BIM and construction management: proven tools, method,
and workflow. Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc.
Dana, K. and Tardif, M. (2009). Building Information Modeling: A Strategic
Implementation Guide for Architects, Engineers, Constructions, and Real
Estate Asset Managers. New Jersey: New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.