Building Information Modelling !

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process that involves the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. BIM is considered as the best technique in minimizing the waste as well as improving the efficiency during construction. However, there are still bottlenecks which need to be addressed thus making BIM still not ready for delivering lifecycle infrastructural sustainability.

Building Information Modelling
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Building Information Modelling
Abstract
Building Information Modelling is a process involving the generation and management of digital
representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building Information
Modelling is considered as the best technique in minimizing the waste as well as improving the
efficiency during construction. A Building Information Modelling is a project simulation which
entails the three dimensional (3D) models of the project components by connecting with all the
needed information associated to the project planning, operating or constructing and
decommissioning. The incorporation of Building Information Modelling technology in
infrastructural operations will enhance procedures with minimal impacts in the environment but
there are still bottlenecks which need to be addressed thus making BIM still not ready for
delivering lifecycle infrastructural sustainability.
Introduction
Sustainable infrastructure refers to creation of constructions and ensuring that operations are
carried out in a manner which does not affect the social, economic and environmental processes
needed in upholding diversity, functionality and human equity of natural system. The use of
Building Information Modelling technique ensures that the processes that are being used are
accountable and resourceful through the building life cycle commencing from choosing the place
to design a building, process of upkeep, restoration and lastly deconstruction.
Discussion
Building life cycle refers to monitoring of the structure through its whole life, and the monitoring
process should be used in enhancing the structure’s operational feature that is linked to designing
of the building. During a construction process, challenges such as poor communication and

Building Information Modelling
coordination between the specialists also arises leading to delays in construction as well as
excessive costs incurred before completion of the whole process. The BIM operations are as
shown in the diagram below.
Fig 1: Showing different operations carried out by BIM (Aouad, 2009, p. 54)
A construction adhering to construction standards has five key life cycle phases and these
include; initiation, planning, execution, performance and monitoring, and closure (Counsell,
2017, p. 213). The five phases are shown below;
Planning Phase
Execution Phase
Performance and monitoring phase
Closure phase
Initiation of the project should be carried out first so as to decide whether the project is feasible
and it should be undertaken. After the initiation stage, the planning takes place and this stage
involves further development of the project in detail to attain the objectives of the project.

Building Information Modelling
Identification of the resources needed during the construction is also done in this stage. The
execution stage is the other stage which simply entails the implementation step and it is where
the project plan is put into practice and this is where the work is done practically, or simply
where the erection of building starts. Measuring the performance to ensure that items are
tracking with the project management schedule is usually done in performance and monitoring
stage of the construction project. The last life cycle stage is the closure phase whereby numerous
processes are involved, for example, handing over the project documentation, termination of the
contract, releasing of project resources, the project resources and communicating with all
stakeholders concerning the closure of the project (Crotty, 2013, p. 142).
Building Information Modelling relates to sustainable infrastructure such that it assists in various
areas of sustainable designs: Orientation of the building (the cost of energy can be reduced by
selecting a good orientation), sustainable materials (decreasing the requirement of material and
using recycled materials), logistics and site management (to decrease the carbon footprint and
waste) and modelling of energy (decreasing the requirements of energy that leads low cost of
energy) (Garrigos, 2017, p. 219).
The use of Building Information Modelling technology also experiences certain problems before
it is used in the construction of infrastructure thus making it not ready for delivering lifecycle
infrastructural sustainability. These problems need to be addressed before ensuring the Building
Information Modelling is ready so as to perform its operations effectively without any other
bottleneck which could make it lag behind (Doyle, 2011, p. 341).
Setting up an infrastructural project requires a high cost, thus making an individual or company
to avoid using Building Information Modelling when carrying out their projects. Initiation of the
project also requires high cost and these costs can be classified in-terms of laying it down as well

Building Information Modelling
as general costs. If incase the BIM require lower financial cost, then many firms will be ready to
use it for various construction and infrastructural operation. (Epstein, 2012, p. 322).
The use of Building Information Modelling requires skilled workers, and to ensure that, this type
of technology is ready for use because it checks into that, there is also the need of ensuring that
there are enough skilled workers who understand the BIM technology fully and can render their
services wherever they are required. This particular technology is therefore not considered to be
the suitable one since many people responsible for infrastructure development or construction are
not even aware of it but those who know it exists does not know how to use it, making it difficult
to use it in life cycle infrastructural development (Eynard, 2016, p. 442).
The use of Building Information modeling depends on the pressure being generated by the
competitors from the same field. The pressure resulting from competition by other firms are
predicted as a significant motivation to allow the BIM ready for use. In construction, the use of
Building Information Modelling in carrying out any activity relies on active participation from
the owner. The BIM program driven by the client can enhance the rate at which the BIM
technology is needed in the organization and when the owners of the project are not bothered
with this particular technology then its operation will be interfered with.
Optimization in cost and efficiency of the project can therefore be achieved by employing BIM
when undertaking a project. BIM is perceived as a mode of shaping, predicting data and
empowering communication. The use of Building Information Modelling can take place
effectively when people, as well as various construction companies, are aware of it, its
performance and how better results can be achieved by using this particular technology
(Garrigos, 2017, p. 674).

Building Information Modelling
To ensure the Building Information Modelling is ready for delivering lifecycle infrastructural
sustainability, a proper training of workers should be done plus the company should also put
more funds in the software to ensure workers have a full idea of what is expected of them to
attain superior outcomes during the operation. Training will enable the workers to get new ideas
concerning the BIM, how it is used and how it can be used in the company to enable the
construction company achieve its goals and objectives. (Hannon, 2009, p. 543).
There are certain construction players that are always resistant to changes since many key
players are not aware of the Building Information Modelling. Delivery of construction services
by concentrating mostly in outdated methods hinders the use of Building Information Modelling.
When workers in the construction industry are able to adopt new changes brought in by the
management, then it will make BIM ready to be used in any construction industry, thus enabling
learning the new technology in the market and applying them in the current situation for the
benefit of the organization (Kensek, 2014, p. 732).
The Building Information Modelling is normally not suitable to be used in delivering lifecycle
infrastructural sustainability since it is a new technology and there have been cases in court
whereby there are several instance where errors resulting from using BIM in projects are being
addressed thus contractors can be sued as a result omissions and errors on BIM projects.
There are several benefits accruing from using BIM technology for example; project efficiency is
increased, the project completion period is reduced and impacts caused to the environment are
greatly reduced. These benefits should be clearly highlighted so that the organization to make
BIM ready to carry out its operations (McCuen, 2016, p. 765). The statistics shown below shows
benefits of BIM collected from users

Building Information Modelling
Fig 2: Statistics showing benefits of BIM from users (Counsell, 2017, p. 76)
The use of BIM is expensive and it requires financial resources, and to ensure it is ready for use
with a minimized environmental impact, then there is need of ensuring that the financial
resources needed are minimal plus enough skilled human resources to perform the operations.
When the construction industry has minimal finance, then numerous firms will run away from
using Building Information Modelling during the construction process. Also, the BIM starting up
cost plus the cost of enacting makes several building firms to keep away from using this
particular technology. The use of BIM in project delivery is greatly determined by the cost
associated with starting it up. (Zawdie, 2012, p. 123).
The use of Building Information Modelling is affected when strict restrictions are put in place by
the government to enable its usage in life cycle infrastructural sustainability. Most of the firms
associated with construction activities will prefer BIM if the set rules and regulations by the
government are favorable and encourages operations. (McCuen, 2016, p. 77).

Building Information Modelling
Technologies are bound to fail thus this issue needs to be addressed to ensure that the BIM
technology is free from failing, and this is a type of issue affecting its readiness thus it needs to
be addressed before using it in infrastructural sustainability. It will take time to convince people
to use new technologies in the market as a result of the risks involved since there are certain
industries that are progressing very well in the construction sector making other industries to
believe that there is no need of using BIM technology. Despite the benefits, the BIM have in
current industries, with this belief going around, use of Building Information Modelling will be
hindered unless this particular belief is changed through educating people concerning the
benefits of adopting the BIM in an industry (Jason, 2009, p. 218).
To ensure the Building Information Modelling is ready for sustainable infrastructure, the
government should render its support after realizing the benefits that can be obtained as a result
of using BIM technology. The government will assist in promoting public awareness hence
making to people realize that this technology is reliable since the government may be blamed in
case they are offering support to technology which is disadvantageous to its citizens. The
government should also offer training to people to ensure many people in the construction
sectors knows BIM in detailed and the benefits accruing when using it (Teichoiz, 2013, p. 412).
Many people find BIM not ready to be used since there are certain projects which are temporary
therefore, using this system is difficult because the dissolution of the project may take place in a
very short time spurn. Showing minimal interest on newly introduced technology drive away
many construction companies from using this technology because many construction companies
would like to use the technology that is being used by the competitive industries (Mordue, 2015,
p. 512).

Building Information Modelling
Life cycle sustainability infrastructure can only be achieved when the barriers surrounding the
use of Building Information Modelling technology have been addressed. The use of BIM deters
since there are certain bottlenecks around which makes it not ready to achieve its objectives, for
example, BIM technology requires hardware upgrade and this is costly thus this should be
avoided to allow people to implement it easily in various construction activities (Krygiel, 2008,
p. 57).
To make sure that the processes used in infrastructure development are free from environmental
pollution, there is need of using Building Information Modelling, but to ensure that this
technology is ready to carry out its operations, the organization needs to do certain changes
therefore hindering most companies from using BIM, for example, altering the flow of work as
well as some processes which are difficult for many firms in the construction sector. There are
certain requirements and cases in court that need to be addressed before the Building Information
Modelling technology can be ready for life cycle infrastructural sustainability (Sanchez, 2016, p.
156).
Conclusion
The use of Building Information Modelling is important in any process that involves
construction since it has numerous benefits such that the use of BIM in construction sectors will
have ensure that processes used have minimal impact on environment. To ensure the BIM
technology is ready to deliver life cycle infrastructural sustainability then, there are certain
bottlenecks that need to be addressed, for example, training workers and also lowering the cost
of setting it up.

Building Information Modelling
Bibliography
Aouad, G., 2009. Constructing the future. 2 ed. s.l.: Blackwell publishing.
Counsell, J., 2017. Heritage building information modelling. 2 ed. s.l.: Carlton Books.
Crotty, R., 2013. The impact of building information modeling. 1 ed. s.l.: Hauffe Gruppe.
Doyle, S., 2011. Construction and building. 1 ed. s.l.: Adventure Works Press.
Epstein, E., 2012. Implementing successful building information modeling. 2 ed. s.l. Scholastic.
Eynard, B., 2016. Construction lifecycle management. 3 ed. s.l.: Hachette Livre.
Garrigos, G., 2017. Building information modelling in construction. 1 ed. s.l.: OLMA Media Group.
Hannon, J., 2009. Information technology for efficient project delivery. 3 ed. s.l.: Blake Publishing.
Kensek, K., 2014. Building information modelling. 2 ed. s.l.: Casemate Publishers.
Krygiel, E., 2008. Green BIM. 1 ed. s.l.: Media Participation.
McCuen, T., 2016. Building information modelling for airports. 2 ed. s.l.: Reed Elsevier.
Mordue, S., 2015. Building information modelling for dummies. 3 ed. s.l.: Casemate Publishers.
Sanchez, A., 2016. Delivering values with BIM. 3 ed. s.l.: McGraw-Hill Education.
Teichoic, P., 2013. BIM for facility managers. 2 ed. s.l.: Wolters Kluwer.
Zawdie, G., 2012. Construction innovation and process improvement. 2 ed. s.l.: HarperCollins.