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Building Information Modeling in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction:

Emerging Research Directions and Trends

Article  in  Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice · July 2010

DOI: 10.1061/ASCEEI.1943-5541.0000023

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 Building Information Modeling in Architecture, Engineering,
and Construction: Emerging Research
Directions and Trends
Burcin Becerik-Gerber, A.M.ASCE1; and Karen Kensek2

Abstract: Currently, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry is facing enormous technological and institutional changes
and challenges including the proliferation of information technology and appropriate application of sustainable practices. The 21st century
engineer and architect must be able to deal with a rapid pace of technological change, a highly interconnected world, and complex
problems that require multidisciplinary solutions. This paper focuses on research directions and trends around building information
modeling 共BIM兲 through interdisciplinary endeavors: how BIM research topics could be explored; their relevancy; and their potential
future impact. It identifies BIM research topics that are considered to be important to a wide range of practitioners and future practitioners,
both architecture and engineering students. It also assesses the relevance of current research projects to the industry and categorizes future
BIM research topics. It aims to formulate research ideas and methodologies to pursue them and to explore how an industry/academic
partnership for exploring exciting research opportunities could be established.
DOI: 10.1061/共ASCE兲EI.1943-5541.0000023
CE Database subject headings: Sustainable development; Construction industry; Research; Information technology; Buildings.
Author keywords: Building information modeling; Sustainable development; Construction industry; Research; Information technology;
Virtual design and construction.

Introduction tion engineering and management research in several ways: better

The architecture, engineering, and construction 共AEC兲 industry,
often acknowledged as a low-technology and an inefficient indus-
try 共Gallaher et al. 2004兲, is the largest industry in the United
States 共Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
2004兲 and one of the largest in the world accounting for one-tenth
of the world’s gross domestic product 共Murie 2007兲. Currently,
the industry is facing enormous technological and institutional
transformations with their resultant difficulties and challenges.
One very important instrument to such change is the use of infor-
mation technology and application of sustainable practices. Sev-
eral scholars recognize these two major trends in their research
and publications. According to Adeli 共2009兲, civil and environ-
mental engineering programs in many U.S. universities should
promote sustainability, embrace technology, focus on environ-
ment and infrastructure, think cross disciplinary, and advocate an
intelligent system approach to keep their momentum in attracting
students and resources. According to Levitt 共2007兲 three emerging
trends suggest the need to broaden the frame of future construc-
1
Assistant Professor, Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, USC, 3620 S. Vermont Ave.,
KAP 224C, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2531 共corresponding author兲.
E-mail: becerik@usc.edu
2
Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, Watt Hall, USC, WAH
204, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0291. E-mail: kensek@usc.edu
Note. This manuscript was submitted on June 15, 2009; approved on
December 1, 2009; published online on December 4, 2009. Discussion
period open until December 1, 2010; separate discussions must be sub-
mitted for individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Profes-
sional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, Vol. 136, No. 3,
July 1, 2010. ©ASCE, ISSN 1052-3928/2010/3-139–147/$25.00.
integrated delivery of construction; new governance structures for
projects that can support a more global construction industry; and
enhanced sustainability through new approaches, methods, and
information technology. Bakens 共1997兲 suggested that growing
partnership between research community and industry, interna-
tionalization of competition and collaboration in the research
community, growing emphasis on integrated topics and ap-
proaches in research, information technology in construction,
electronic collaboration, and sustainable development and con-
struction are the six international research trends and priorities
in the construction industry. Turk 共2007兲 outlined topics and
agendas for construction informatics in European research in four
categories: common infrastructures; communication and coordi-
nation technologies; processes supporting information and com-
munication technologies; and supporting themes such as business
process reengineering. The 21st century engineer and architect
must be able to deal with a rapid pace of technological change, a
highly interconnected world, and complex problems that require
multidisciplinary solutions. Both architecture and engineering
professions are embracing new modes of interdisciplinary infor-
mation sharing and focusing on two emerging and fast growing
concepts: building information modeling 共BIM兲 and integrated
project delivery 共IPD兲. A mutually beneficial industry/academia
collaboration will lead to a growth in strategic research and also
would address concerns of Issa and Anumba 共2007兲 about com-
puting and information technology research in civil engineering
and architecture being self-fulfilling rather than industry trans-
forming. While there is a wide range of definitions for BIM 关As-
sociated General Contractors of America 共AGC兲 2006; General
Services Administration 共GSA兲 2007; BuildingSmart Alliance
共bSa兲 共2006兲兴, in the context of this paper, the following definition
is used: a modeling technology and associated set of processes to

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 Architect
Consultant
Contractor
Technology Provider
Engineer
Developer
Other
Owner
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Fig. 1. Firm profiles of respondents of the first survey. “Other” in-
cluded project management and design/build firms. Several respon-
dents self-categorized themselves in multiple firm groups 共for
example, architect and contractor兲.
produce, communicate, and analyze building models 共Eastman et
al. 2008兲 and interfaces, methods, and applications that are perti-
nent to BIM technology, including but not limited to the follow-
ing: sustainable practices, management and organizational issues
around technology, and assisting technologies and methods.
Research Objectives and Scope
The objective of this research is to identify innovative research
topics and trends in the area of BIM in AEC through interdisci-
plinary endeavors. One of the main goals is to bring together
academic and professional expertise from multiple disciplines to
discuss current problems and speculate on new solutions for the
future and identify research topics that could advance the state of
the art. There are methodological differences between this study
and the much larger road mapping projects such as the project of
ROADCON 共2003兲 共Strategic Roadmap toward Knowledge-
Driven Sustainable Construction兲, project of ICCI 共2004兲 共Inno-
vation, Coordination Transfer and Deployment through
Networked Cooperation in the Construction Industry兲, and Capi-
tal Project Technology Roadmap project of FIATECH 共2009兲. The
focus of this research project is limited to BIM; it does not look
for an industry-wide consensus; and unlike these other studies, it
investigates the research questions from the industry’s and stu-
dents’ perspectives while exploring the role of research commu-
nity in leading collaborative projects with practitioners.
The paper continues with an explanation of the research ap-
proach and methodology. Then, it discusses the data that were
gathered through three online surveys, a research workshop with
practitioners, and student input through a final report. Next, it
presents and discusses the research directions and trends includ-
ing how BIM research topics could be explored, their relevancy,
and potential future impact. A discussion for future research and
education follows.
Research Approach and Methodology
A mixed research methodology, including a series of online sur-
veys, a research workshop, and student reports, was implemented
to gather and analyze data.
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Construction Management
Civil Engineering
Building Science
Architecture
Mechanical Engineering
Business Administration
Policy Planning and Development
Structural Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Systems Engineering
18 20 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Fig. 2. Student majors
Surveys
Three online surveys were conducted to assess the interest of the
industry and student body on various BIM research topics. The
objective of the first survey was to gather a list of potential re-
search topics while developing a list of practitioners, who would
be interested in participating in interdisciplinary research projects.
The first survey was sent to a total of 110 practitioners. The list
was developed based on writers’ personal contacts and their
schools’ connections with the industry. It was not the writers’
intent to survey an extremely large selection of practitioners. In-
stead, the selection of practitioners to be invited to take the survey
was based on two criteria: 共1兲 demonstrated strong interest in the
area of research and 共2兲 demonstrated interest in applying con-
struction related research. A total of 54 responses was received
from February 20, 2009 to April 17, 2009 共Fig. 1兲.
Based on the responses to the first survey, a second survey was
developed and distributed from March 13, 2009 to April 17, 2009
to a total of 44 participants. The second survey was automatically
sent to the respondents who indicated their interest in participat-
ing in research in the first survey. The goal of the second survey
was to identify specific research topic areas. Based on the second
survey, as well as the students’ opinion about the most important
topics when they graduate, three sessions and four panels for each
session 共a total of 12 panels兲 were identified: “BIM for project life
cycle” 关for design and engineering, for construction, and for fa-
cility management 共FM兲兴, “BIM and sustainable practices” 共sus-
tainable practices in architecture, engineering, and construction,
linking BIM to analysis tools, sustainability during construction,
and afterward energy innovations兲, and “building information
management” 共IPD, interoperability, changes to practice, BIM
best practices兲.
In an attempt to compare industry’s research interests to the
students’ understanding of the profession, a third survey was de-
signed and distributed to students at the School of Architecture
and Department of Civil Engineering of the University of South-
ern California via course lists. An attempt was made to send the
survey not to all students but to those who had some knowledge
of the field. A total of 79 students completed the survey from
April 7, 2009 to April 17, 2009. Student majors and years were
spread throughout appropriate engineering and architecture ma-
jors as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
Workshop
The research workshop was held on April 21, 2009. Specifically,
its mission was have the participants formulate research ideas,
 Building Information Technology and 43%
PhD Management 89%

Integrated Project Delivery 42%

87%
Masters BIM for Sustainable Design/ 58%
Construction 83%

BIM and Fabrication 24%

Senior (4th and 5th year) 59%
Construction Automation and 20%
Simulation 50%
Junior 53%
Energy Innovations 46%

Post-occupancy Evaluation 13%

Sophmore 31%

Other 4%
13%
Freshman
I don't know 4%
2%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Fig. 3. Student levels
determine methodologies to pursue them, and explore how an
industry/academic partnership for exploring exciting research op-
portunities could be established. Main goals for this workshop
were to
1. identify the most promising avenues of BIM research;
2. discuss with practitioners the practical implementation and
application issues;
3. identify and develop linkages between the 12 research areas/
panels; and
4. promote industry/academic collaboration on all aspects of
AEC related research.
A total of 30 participants, who expressed interest in a one-day
research workshop in the second survey, from 26 companies at-
tended the workshop. The breakdown for firm profiles is as fol-
lows: six architecture, six engineering, six technology providers,
and eight builders. Overall, the participants are considered leaders
in the field, who are well acquainted with the technology from
direct experience in their firms.
Interdisciplinary panels of six to eight participants focused on
a particular topic; these panels were arranged to provide a broad
interdisciplinary mixing of professionals. Each panel discussion
lasted about 45 min with a 5-min summary that was presented to
the entire audience at the end. Specific questions and topic areas
to discuss were provided to each panel. These included the fol-
lowing: describing an innovative research idea; providing at least
three research questions and goals for the idea proposed; propos-
ing a methodology to overcome barriers to accomplish these
goals; listing potential research outcomes and deliverables to
allow for the adoption of these research outcomes by the industry
and their potential to move computing in AEC forward in a mean-
ingful way; and to project what the research idea’s significance
would be for current and future researches.
Student Reports
In parallel to the research workshop, as part of a class project,
students were asked to contribute their insight and opinions to the
same research topics. However, the student reports used a differ-
Students Practitioners
Fig. 4. Areas of research that practitioners are interested in and areas
of research that students think that will be most important in their
profession when they graduate
Management students. Although students knew of the topic areas,
they could write about any research topic that was BIM related,
innovative, and that could improve the current practice in the
AEC industry.
Research Directions and Trends
Fig. 4 shows research areas practitioners are interested in 共based
on the first survey兲 and students’ answers to the question of what
areas will be most important in their profession when they gradu-
ate 共based on the third survey兲. Building information technology
and management 共89%兲, IPD 共87%兲, and BIM for sustainable
design and construction 共83%兲 were the top three choices of prac-
titioners. The “other” category for practitioner answers included
integrated structural analysis, real estate/portfolio analysis, web-
enabled technologies, field BIM, interoperability, BIM quality as-
surance, and code compliance. Students placed BIM for
sustainable design and construction and energy innovations at the
top of their importance level. BIM technology and management
and IPD related research topics followed as the third and fourth
choices of students. The other category for student answers in-
cluded leadership in energy and environmental design 共LEED兲, a
certification system used in the United States to categorize the
level of environmentally sustainable buildings, estimation, and
management of the construction process. IPD, a key topic of con-
cern by professionals, was fourth choice of students, at 42%.
In light of the surveys conducted, results of the workshop, and
the student reports, research areas are categorized into three areas:
BIM for project life cycle, BIM and sustainable practices, and
building information management. Figs. 5–7 show the practitio-
BIM for Design & Engineering (S)
BIM for Design & Engineering (P)

ent method to gather student ideas on research topics in BIM. BIM for Construction (S) ranked 1

Students had two weeks to explore the same questions and pro- BIM for Construction (P) ranked 2

vide a written document back to the instructor. The work was not BIM for Facilities Management (S)
ranked 3
ranked 4
collaborative; all students initiated and researched the topic idea BIM for Facilities Management (P)
themselves. Most of the 24 students were upper division 共2 were
in the Bachelor of Architecture program兲 or a graduate student in 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

architecture 共8 were in Master of Building Science and 11 were in

Master of Architecture兲. The remaining three students were a se- Fig. 5. Practitioners’ and students’ rankings of topics based on the
nior in Construction Management and two Master of Construction relative importance of research—BIM for project life cycle

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 Sustainability in AEC (S)
Sustainability in AEC (P)
Linking BIM to analysis tools (S)
Linking BIM to analysis tools (P)
Sustainability during constr. &
afterwards (S)
Sustainability during constr. &
afterwards (P)
Energy Innovations (S)
Energy Innovations (P)
0% 20% 40% 60%
Fig. 6. Practitioners’ and students’ rankings of topics based on the
relative importance of research—BIM and sustainable practices
ners’ 共based on the second survey兲 and students’ 共based on the
third survey兲 rankings weighing of the relative importance of top-
ics. IPD was considered a crucial research topic area, with BIM
for construction by both practitioners and students. When second
choices are included, linking BIM to analysis tools is one of the
top choices for practitioners and BIM best practices and is one of
the top choices from students. Energy innovation topics are con-
sidered as an important research area in the second rank tier and,
for students, tied for top overall. Sustainable practice category
showed the greatest spread in the students’ perception of relative
importance of these areas. The results confirm that the students
are aware of IPD and its importance. Of all the 12 topics,
“changes to practice” and “BIM for FM” are listed as the least
interesting topics for both practitioners and students when first
and second choices are included. The later could be attributed to
the fact that owners did not respond to the surveys as enthusias-
tically as the rest of the groups although a comparable sample size
of owners was invited to participate.
Tables 1–3 summarize topics of interests, research priority,
research questions, and barriers identified by the practitioners and
students. It is useful to summarize the students’ choice of research
topics for their reports. The top four choices were interoperability
共25%兲, BIM for construction 共16.7%兲, linking BIM to analysis
tools 共12.5%兲, and BIM for design and engineering 共8.3%兲.
Discussion on Research and Education Needs
The following common themes for future research and education
have been identified as being critical to the development and
implementation of BIM in the AEC profession: the concept of one
virtual database versus linked information; coordination with sus-
IPD (S)
IPD (P)
Interoperability (S)
Interoperability (P)
Changes to practice (S)
Changes to practice (P)
BIM best practices (S)
BIM best practices (P)
0% 20% 40% 60%
Fig. 7. Practitioners’ and students’ rankings of topics based on the
relative importance of research—building information management
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tainable design; rethinking of IPD as a method to promote BIM;
educational ramifications; return on investment; and management
issues throughout the life cycle of the project.
One BIM throughout the project life cycle or multiple views.
ranked 1
The need to maintain a single project information database from
ranked 2
project conception through fabrication and installation and into
ranked 3
ranked 4
operation and maintenance was raised both by practitioners and
students multiple times. However, more research needs to be ac-
complished to fully realize the potential of fully integrated
graphic and nongraphic databases that describes the building and
80% 100% incorporates appropriate information at every stage of its life. The
topic of interoperability has received remarkable attention both
from the industry and academia, but there are widely varying
opinions as to how this will actually happen 共from a single BIM
model to a multilayered system based heavily on IFC, which is
the only public standard for building model data exchange that
includes geometry, object structure, and material and performance
attributes兲 共Jeong et al. 2009兲. Many practitioners believe that the
integration 共or lack thereof兲 of the software is currently a barrier
in the present implementation of BIM. With multiple vendors
developing modeling products with proprietary file formats, the
sharing of information creates challenges with respect to accuracy
and dependability of the models. The solution, whether it is one
BIM for project life cycle or multiple interoperable views for
different specialties, should enable 共1兲 information sharing be-
yond the exchange of three-dimensional geometry; 共2兲 the long-
term archiving of BIMs in a format that can be repurposed
throughout the building life cycle; and 共3兲 breaking up the model
so that it can be used and updated transparently by many appli-
cations and users.
Coordination with sustainable practices. Students’ interest in
sustainability was overwhelming in the survey and in the topics
discussed. Part of this can be attributed to the concern for sustain-
able practices being emphasized at the university. Students indi-
cated that they strongly believe in delivering the best possible
product in the least possible time, with the least harm to the
environment. This area of research also received the high interest
from practitioners. The consensus was whether it is through the
use of smarter materials or a more user-friendly system of mea-
suring building performance, simulation is the most critical step
to creating a more sustainable environment. There is an agree-
ment that how to best achieve sustainable buildings is a crucial
research topic and BIM may be able to accomplish this. One
example is the use of BIM as the gateway to LEED requirements
where synergies exist: i.e., day lighting, water consumption, and
reuse and recyclable material tracking 共Haynes 2008兲.
Rethinking of IPD to promote BIM. IPD is a predesign to con-
struction method that creates a collaborative environment re-
quired for the most comprehensive use of BIM by aligning the
incentives and goals of all team members; it addresses the prob-
lems associated with traditional delivery methods and provides
another alternative. The consensus was that while BIM is gaining
momentum, except for a few notable exceptions, IPD is slower to
ranked 1 catch on. According to the practitioners, some owners believe that
ranked 2
by using an IPD contract, some of the creative tension between
ranked 3
the architect and the contractor could be lost. With that in mind,
ranked 4
practitioners discussed what IPD means and what their IPD ex-
perience is. Although many of the practitioners indicated that they
have been on IPD-like projects, they did not have direct IPD
80% 100% project experience. They indicated that IPD as the most important
topic as a methodology to support using BIM. IPD was the most
mentioned research topic area by the students as well. Students
expressed that seamless integration of BIM use across the indus-
 Table 1. Topics, Research Priority, Questions, and Barriers Identified by the Practitioners and Students for BIM for Project Life-Cycle Areas
Topics of interests
Area identified by practitioners
BIM for design and 共1兲 Use of BIM for master
engineering planning, feasibility studies
共cost, performance, and
coordination兲, plan checking, and
conceptual design; 共2兲 effect of
BIM on innovation; and 共3兲 role
JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND PRACTICE © ASCE / JULY 2010 / 143
of BIM in decision making
共structural configuration, system
choice, and building
performance兲
BIM for construction 共1兲 Model based scheduling,
material tracking,
constructability, and direct
fabrication; 共2兲 transition of
visualization to the field; and 共3兲
integration of BIM to
multisensor technologies to
produce accurate existing
condition assessments
BIM for FM 共1兲 Use of BIM for existing
buildings, real estate portfolio
analysis, master planning, and
feasibility; 共2兲 integrating BIM
with FM and operation software
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Topics of interests
identified by students
共1兲 Development of a parametric
engine that generates design
alternatives based on project
information 共site conditions, weather
data, geography, building codes, and
“kind of architecture preferred”兲 to
find the “best” possible design given
the constraints
共1兲 Development of a coordinated
model to be used across all phases
of the project; 共2兲 training of field
staff; and 共3兲 field capable hardware
and software, specific to the
construction industry
共1兲 Development of a framework for Determination and definition of core
continuity in the flow of information sets of data that are common elements brings to a project to benefit end interoperability;
in a coordinated/comprehensive
manner; 共2兲 development of a
method for updates and maintenance contract language
checks; and 共3兲 linking large
manuals and important documents
with BIM
Research priority Research questions Barriers
Object oriented and independent What kinds of databases exist Legal contracts; lack of
database that is software agnostic and today; what are the methods and interoperability
global as it hosts data not only for techniques to host all project
design and engineering but also for all information; what kind of activities
project team members’ requirements should be supported; and what
and needs for the project life cycle levels of extensibility exist?
Standardized, user-friendly, and Attitude 共resistance to
Who owns the coordinated model;
cross-cultural field staff training and who generates, produces, and
change兲, training
user-interface/hardware development 共investment and loss of
organizes the effort; what are the
for transfer of BIMs to the field staff methods of delivery to trades; and
productivity兲, language
barriers 共associated with
what should the interface for the
the field staff performing
field personnel be like?
the work兲; lack of
rewards, and increased
risk associated with
changing work processes
to adopt model-centric
processes
How to leverage the value that BIM Lack of software
for FM and postoccupancy operations users; how BIM can be used to resistance to
that can eventually become part of improve building performance? fundamental change by
large institutions; and
lack of objective and
scientific studies that
quantify the value of
BIM for FM
 Table 2. Topics, Research Priority, Questions, and Barriers Identified by the Practitioners and Students for BIM and Sustainable Practice Areas
144 / JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND PRACTICE © ASCE / JULY 2010

Topics of interests identified Topics of interests identified

Area by practitioners by students Research priority Research questions Barriers
Sustainable 共1兲 Modeling entire built 共1兲 Design schemes 共such as Development of a list of best What are the best practices for Accuracy of as-built models to be
practices environment to investigate impact innovative envelopes兲 to reduce practices for the industry, sustainability; how does BIM used for life cycle sustainability;
in the AEC of buildings and their energy consumption; 共2兲 energy sustainable metrics, training assist with innovative AEC lack of energy monitoring over a
industry surroundings; 共2兲 exploring efficient city design; 共3兲 designing programs, and education tools; a sustainable practices? building’s life cycle; and lack of
systems to minimize material use net-zero energy buildings; 共4兲 knowledge base that focuses on tools designed specifically for
and energy consumption; and 共3兲 biomimicry; and 共5兲 use of BIM the overall carbon footprint of a owners
standardization of carbon in adaptive reuse projects building over its life cycle
databases
Linking BIM to 共1兲 Investigation of the gaps in 共1兲 Developing a library of Identification of criteria for the How can real-time performance Autonomous technology
analysis tools the type of data project team sustainable design objects that are development of an associated and sustainability feedback development that does not support
members use throughout project exact digital representations of database that eliminates the need from/within BIM be achieved; are a nonproprietary database;
life cycle; 共2兲 one model that can
physical objects; 共2兲 developing for multiple models 共architectural, there better ways to use intuitive interoperability
accommodate multiple schemas direct connections with analytical, and structural兲 and programs to quantify sustainable
or a multimodel solution; and 共3兲mechanical system manufacturers enables real-time environmental solutions; and what are the
interoperability between BIM and for access to product information, analysis attributes the database would
energy simulation programs pricing, and lifetime energy have to include?
performance
Sustainability 共1兲 Reducing waste by optimizing 共1兲 Building automation systems Development of an open standard What are the data needed from Technology related issues such as
during materials, fabrication, that can control building systems that software providers can project team to be used how to create a seamless interface
construction and construction sequence, and automatically based on indoor/ comply with and that can be postoccupancy by the FM groups; between FM software and BIM;
afterward durations with the use of BIM; outdoor climate and human written into legal documents what are the specific case intellectual property concerns;
共2兲 linking a live model to comfort levels; 共2兲 postoccupancy histories or project examples? client expectations; and appealing
building management systems for energy modeling verification; and to smaller versus larger institutions/
energy conservation and 共3兲 identification of reasons that owners
monitoring cause buildings to underperform
Energy innovations 共1兲 Use of BIM in achieving 共1兲 Efficient building envelopes Development of specifications and How BIM can be used to reduce Interoperability; lack of industry
multiobjective optimization; 共2兲 that produce energy; 共2兲 using fluid standards to link analysis energy consumption of buildings motivation
trade-off analysis of competing recycled building materials; 共3兲 packages to BIM packages for by studying early design
sustainability parameters; and 共3兲 providing cost-effective solutions multiobjective, physically based, strategies, new materials, and
real-time information processing where return on investment is real-time decision making mechanical equipment?
for decision making high; and 共4兲 developing
regulations that would indirectly
create economies of scale

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 Table 3. Topics, Research Priority, Questions, and Barriers Identified by the Practitioners and Students for Building Information Management Areas
Topics of interests identified
Area by practitioners
IPD 共1兲 Exploration of contracts,
risks, relationships, insurance,
frameworks, and best practices
to fully integrate BIM and IPD;
共2兲 demonstration of the benefits
of IPD to the owners; and
JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND PRACTICE © ASCE / JULY 2010 / 145
Topics of interests identified
by students
共1兲 Using cutting edge
technologies within an IPD
framework that can create an
integrated team approach,
streamline the construction
process, and enable an overall
Research priority
Development of best practice IPD
case studies so that professionals
who are not familiar with using
IPD can get assurance of how the
profits have played out both on
successful and nonsuccessful
Research questions
Which of the underlying
problems that block widespread
adoption of IPD can actually be
improved and/or eliminated; can
one solve some of these problems
through BIM technology?
Barriers
Liability insurance and current
contractual models; current public
procurement policy and the
emphasis on first year costs

共3兲 collecting best practice IPD quicker building delivery examples

case studies
Interoperability 共1兲 Research into the existing
BIM standards and how they are
being used and to which extend
they are successfully adopted;
共2兲 research how the software
industry can agree on and
develop true interoperability
functionality
Changes to 共1兲 Fee allocations, schedule/
practice phase durations, coordination of
consultants, and training junior/
senior staff; 共2兲 forensic studies
on past projects to determine
successful and unsuccessful
methods; and 共3兲 in-depth
comparisons of traditional versus
collaborative projects
BIM best practices 共1兲 Setting BIM workflows
from design to postoccupancy;
共2兲 maintaining a single BIM
throughout project phases 共or
not兲; 共3兲 managing large models;
and 共4兲 clear definitions for BIM
deliverables
共1兲 Effectiveness of the IFC and
GBxml; 共2兲 a data interactive
BIM microapplication; and 共3兲
assessing the feasibility and
functionality of creating the entire
world’s built environment in
digital format to unite geographic/
semantic info
*Most of the students did have
much to comment on the issue of
changes to practice although it is
this generation of students that is
at the cusp of the paradigm shift*
共1兲 A case study that has the
potential to serve as a role model
for future BIM projects; 共2兲
survey of the legal and technical
aspects of BIM implementation;
and 共3兲 thorough research into the
specific BIM software available
Specifications for a product
life-cycle management platform
that integrates all disciplines’
analytical and physical objects for
simulation and performance
Identification of the new fee
allocation when designing and
building with BIM and new
management practices
Means and methods for
realization of the model as a true
construct of collaboration and
contract
Is true interoperable necessary Lack of software provider
between software programs or is motivation; lack of standards and
it possible to have a middle too many standards
server, which is software
independent and can provide the
appropriate model to the
appropriate user?
What are the additional services; Lack of knowledge on the owners’
when and what to charge for side; difficulty in comparing
them; what are some of the best project programs; and resistance to
practices in these areas; and what sharing proprietary data
are contract structures that
support these services?
When should BIM be Lack of legal support/definitions;
implemented and why; what level highly fragmented industry
of information is needed at each
stage and who is responsible for
it; and how to work
collaboratively on the model共s兲?

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try is extremely important to overcome and might alleviate com-
munication issues among project team members. Students believe
that poor communication across project team members leads to
strained relationships, animosity, and delay, all of which can
negatively impact project outcomes.
Educational ramifications. Not only do these projects have to
span across the “trades” but also academic disciplines. New part-
nerships need to be forged and ways of educating students should
be modified. Advanced uses of BIM should be more heavily in-
corporated in AEC management curriculums. Using this technol-
ogy at an early stage of education can help prepare future
professionals to practice efficient methods. Degree programs need
to address IPD, BIM, and sustainability topics in the undergradu-
ate programs, in more sophisticated Master level courses, and as
prime research objectives for doctoral students. An integrated stu-
dio concept, using real life case studies, and thinking beyond the
current state of the industry to image and prototype new tools for
the profession with their input and direction should be considered.
As building industry shifts toward adopting IPD, the education
system should take a more collaborative approach in teaching.
Students from different schools could produce required drawings,
documents, and studies needed to realize a building using the
AIA’s definition of the IPD process 共AIA California Council
2007兲. Furthermore, organized educational efforts focusing not
only on future practitioners but also on current practitioners are a
must. Although concepts discussed in this paper are sweeping
through the AEC industry, there is still some degree of skepticism
and sometimes the inclination to wait and see what happens with
other firms first.
Return on investment. Although this topic did not appear as a
topic itself, research on BIM/IPD return on investment was an-
other topic that was discussed by the practitioners. The construc-
tion industry needs more research to be conducted to substantiate
the anecdotes that BIM reduces costs. How investing in BIM
software can lessen and control costs over the life cycle of a
project is a very important question that requires ample hard data
to coax nonparticipant, skeptical builders, architects, owners, and
developers into solidifying the foundation to this concept
共Becerik-Gerber and Rice 2010兲. Readily available, easy-to-read,
well-formatted, and reputable research reports are essential.
Managerial and organizational issues. There appears to be a
disconnect in the profession between what some parties think is
happening and what is actually happening. The practitioners
agreed that BIM hype is huge, but the actual reality is that the
goals and integration of BIM are being achieved on a very limited
basis and not in a comprehensive way in many cases. Although
the goal of having an integrated model 共or several integrated
models兲 from cradle to grave has been clearly stated, details of
accomplishing this are often not clearly stated. This is especially
true at critical key turnover points of the digital model, i.e., from
the architect to contractor, architect to consultants, contractor to
subcontractors, and architect to facility manager or owner. Al-
though there is a general agreement that BIM is the future for the
AEC industry, there are still several managerial and operational
issues that need to be resolved for a long-lasting success.
Conclusions
BIM, vertical enterprise integration 共or IPD兲, and sustainability
are three symbiotic forces that are sweeping through the AEC
industry. All are achievable to some extent on their own, but
maximizing the potential of any of these items will require the use
146 / JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND PRACTICE © ASCE / JULY 2010
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of the others. These new concepts and other related processes and
technologies could assist a virtual vertical integration in the AEC
industry both at the project and enterprise levels. Results demon-
strated commonality in the goals of the major participants in the
building process while highlighting some smaller differences be-
tween the views of the practitioners and students. This paper dem-
onstrates that research topic for BIM is a significant topic for the
AEC industry, that the industry has matured beyond sweeping
generalizations about the usefulness of BIM, and that leaders in
the profession would like to see very specific research goals iden-
tified and developed by both the profession and the academy to-
gether.
Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge and thank three important
groups: the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s assistance and
financial support in organizing the AEC Leadership Research
Workshop, the practitioners and students, who took the time to
answer and put sincere efforts in completing three consequent
surveys and student reports, and the workshop attendees, without
them this study would not be possible.
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