Building information modelling Report 2022

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Chapter 4
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
a Paradigm Shift in Construction
Farzad Khosrowshahi
Abstract The Construction industry in the UK has been recently shaken by a mas-
sive BIM (Building Information Modelling) storm, which reached its climax in
April 2016 when we reached the British Government’s deadline for using BIM for
all centrally procured UK Government construction projects. The requirement was
pitched at level 2 maturity, which is a managed 3D environment held in separate
discipline BIM tools with attached data. BIM has been hailed as a catalyst for a
fundamental change in the way the industry conducts its business in a data-intensive
and complex environment that significantly relies on effective collaboration of a
diverse range of disciplines.
As was the case with Latham Report (1994, Constructing the team. HMSO), and
the Egan Report (1998, The Egan Report—Rethinking construction, report of the
construction industry taskforce to the Deputy Prime Minister, UK), the industry has
the astute ability to welcome the recommendations, but interpret them in the manner
suitable for its endurance. Interestingly, in this instance, there is a maturity level
which, on the one hand, describes the exact nature of the requirements, but, on the
other hand, it allows a degree of interpretation, as to what constitutes BIM capabil-
ity. However, this time the wave is global, which contain as much collaboration and
cooperation, as it imposes competition on moving up the BIM maturity level.
Whatever the response of the industry is, the general feeling is that BIM is here to
stay. There will be significant “continuous change,” but whether it will lead to the
well awaited complete “reengineering” of the industry, it remains to be seen.
However, what seems certain, is that every step of the process shall leave its worthy
mark on the industry.
4.1 Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that the construction industry suffers from inherent inef-
ficient practices, which result in high levels of waste, excessive duplication of pro-
cesses, poor project co-ordination and delivery, and increased costs. An area where
F. Khosrowshahi (*)
Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
e-mail: [e-mail]
© Springer International Publishing AG 2017
M. Dastbaz et al. (eds.), Building Information Modelling, Building Performance,
Design and Smart Construction, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-50346-2_4

48
problems have been recognised but not fully understood relates to project informa-
tion. The 1979 report by the NCC Standing Committee Project Information Group
highlighted the impact of poor project information on several areas including time
wastages on resolving technical problems (NCCSC Project Information Group
1979). The introduction of National Building Specification (NBS) and SMM7 code
of measurement alleviated the issue but only marginally. In fact, over the years,
electronic means have not improved the quality of communication and offered little
better than paper-based documentation systems (Smith 2014). Indeed, in some
ways, new problems have emerged. For instance, the shift from geometric data in
CAD to complex parametric data has put excessive demand on the volume of data.
This is because the parametric data in BIM define both the objects’ size and shape
as well as their physical properties and behaviours in relation to other objects
(Eastman et al. 2011).
In UK, the adoption of BIM technology has been somewhat slower than those in
USA and Scandinavian countries. But, in general, compared to other industries,
construction is way behind manufacturing and aerospace. The fragmentation of the
industry has been recognised as both the main barrier to the implementation of BIM
as well as creating the need to alleviate its adverse nature (Robert and Laepple
2003). Other barriers with significant impact include legacy culture, procurement
methods, established work practices, regulatory, legal, and contractual issues, data
security, intellectual property rights, and client support (London et al. 2008; Yan and
Damian 2009). Furthermore, the extent of the impact of barriers is greatly influ-
enced by the level of the maturity of the organisations making up the supply chain
(Aouad et al. 2006). However, as was recognised by the UK government Task force,
the adoption of BIM does not have to rely on full and radical changes to the prac-
tices. The changes can be incremental and progress in parts on small steps. Already
the benefits are visible and measurable: The savings at Heathrow T5 demonstrated
the tangible benefit of BIM in UK (International construction intelligence 2009).
4.2 Background
Looking at CAD and BIM from purely technological perspective, it is important not
to associate CAD with 2D and BIM with 3D designs. CAD technology can also
offer 3D representation. CAD provides a static 2D document that does not relate to
the other documents created separately (Ziel et al. 2008). While, in CAD, building
elements are represented by lines and geometrical shapes, in BIM the elements hold
specifications. For example, a wall definition of the specs include height, width,
bearing and non-bearing principle, interior or exterior, fire rating, demolished or
new materials such as bricks and boards. BIM offers parametric integrity which
relates to the connection and relation between elements which are maintained con-
sistently even when the model is being manipulated Succar 2008.
It has been argued that BIM’s inception and evolution is linked all the way back
to the ancient Egypt when for the first time the architect and engineer—Imhotep—F. Khosrowshahi

49
drew lines of ink on papyrus to indicate the outline of a structure. This was then
used to communicate the design to the workers who are building it (Hardin 2009).
Over time, the inefficiencies of hand-drafting (such as time and cost wastage of
alterations to the design) highlighted the need for better coordination and represen-
tation. By this time, technological advancements were more appealing than the
need to work in a truly collaborative environment. Modern BIM has its roots in the
1960s when Computer-aided Design (CAD) laid the foundation for a major techno-
logical breakthrough in this area. With the introduction of 2D geometry and its
conversion into 3D in the 1970s, the automated task of drafting entered a new era.
These advances were primarily due to designers’ ability to shift the focus from pen
and paper to graphical interaction with the computer, albeit, in a somewhat limited
fashion. Another leap was facilitated through the introduction of object-oriented
CAD systems (OOCAD), which facilitated the incorporation of ‘intelligence’ to the
relationship between building elements (Howell and Batcheler 2004).
Bew and Richards (2008) recognised that the definition and implementation of
BIM is linked to a defined level of maturity that ranges from Level 0 to Level 3.
These are depicted in Fig. 4.1 and described accordingly.
The maturity levels depicted by Bew and Richards are defined as follows (BIM
Industry Working Group – DBIS 2011, pp. 16–17):
Level 0:Unmanaged CAD probably 2D, with paper (or electronic) as the most
likely data exchange mechanism.
Level 1: Managed CAD in 2 or 3D format using BS1192:2007 with a collaboration
tool providing a common data environment, possibly some standard data structures,
Fig. 4.1 BIM maturity levels (Bew and Richards (2008)
4 Building Information Modelling (BIM) a Paradigm Shift in Construction

50
and formats. Commercial data managed by standalone finance and cost management
packages with no integration.
Level 2*:Managed 3D environment held in separate discipline “BIM” tools with
attached data. Commercial data managed by an Enterprise Resource Planner (ERP).
Integration on the basis of proprietary interfaces or bespoke middleware could be
regarded as “pBIM” (proprietary). The approach may utilise 4D programme data
and 5D cost elements as well as feed operational systems.
*Mandatory for all UK public sector projects from April 2016
Level 3: Fully open process and data integration enabled by “web services” com-
pliant with the emerging IFC/IFD standards, managed by a collaborative model
server. Could be regarded as iBIM or integrated BIM potentially employing concur-
rent engineering processes.
Level zero represents the use of 2D CAD drawings in conjunction with written
specifications. The use of 3D design information, by individual members, is intro-
duced at Level 1. This is referred to as ‘lonely BIM’, because members use BIM in
isolation rather than using a common platform for collaboration and sharing of
information. Level 2 is where the UK Government aimed at, as the starting point for
its public projects from April 2016. At this level, model checking software tools can
be exploited and some degree of coordination can be achieved. Integration can take
place, but on the basis of proprietary interfaces or use of bespoke middleware. This
level tends to replicate the traditional practice of bringing independent drawings
together, but using discipline-specific models. This will allow problem solving by
walkthrough, clash detection, and design scrutiny (Nisbet and Dinesen 2010). It is
only at level 3 where a single project model is used as a platform for collaboration.
There are some concerns that the integrated working at BIM level 3 generates con-
fusion as who is responsible and who owns the model. This will have an impact on
contracts and insurances (BIM Industry Working Group 2011). Also, at level 3,
there are potential issues relating to the provision of conflicting information from
different models and liability for design. These are likely to affect professional
indemnity insurance and intellectual property rights (Barnes and Davies 2014).
Other areas of concern include problems associated with data loss due to interoper-
ability inefficiencies (Kramer et al. 2012).
4.3 What is BIM?
BIM is defined in many different ways and tends to mean different things to differ-
ent people. In one extreme, BIM is purely a technical enabler in form of a sophisti-
cated software, and at the other extreme, it offers a philosophical framework that
offers a paradigm shift within the construction sector. In effect, BIM is both of these
extremes and everything that comes in between them.
The early definitions of BIM always placed the digital nature of BIM at its core.
According to AGC (2006), BIM is “The development and use of a technology to
simulate the construction and operation of a facility from which views and data
appropriate to various user needs can be extracted and analysed. These data areF. Khosrowshahi