Effective framework for adopting BIM for automation in remote construction project: an analysis from the Australian construction perspective

This research provides a comprehensive framework for adopting BIM in the Australian construction projects. This framework will help companies to identify issues in the adoption of this technology and strategies that they need to follow for ensuring that execution of project through this BIM technology is effective and in accordance with the requirements and constraints in the Australian construction projects.

Designing Research
Research Statement Proforma
Total number of words contained in this Statement (excluding
Bibliography/References)
2151
Name
Discipline/Degree
Program
1 Project Title
Effective framework for adopting BIM for automation in remote construction project: an
analysis from the Australian construction perspective
2 Project Summary/Abstract
Construction projects are generally complex in nature. It requires planning and execution of
various construction regard activities. Application of BIM technology has become very popular
in construction projects for bringing innovation, accuracy and excellence in project planning and
execution. Construction projects are often delayed either due to lack of proper planning on not
following that planning properly. This research provides a comprehensive framework for
adopting BIM in the Australian construction projects. This framework will help companies to
identify issues in the adoption of this technology and strategies that they need to follow for
ensuring that execution of project through this BIM technology is effective and in accordance
with the requirements and constraints in the Australian construction projects.
3 Project Outline
3.1 Introductory Background
Here in this context, a brief introductory description of the problem and issues
are described that provides the context for the proposed research. The remote
construction project is the execution of the construction work remotely without
direct communication between project authority and project team (Hay et al.
2017). Now, this makes the execution of construction work difficult because
due to the remote location of the project it becomes difficult for project authority
to control construction workflow efficiently. This also leads to a lack of
coordination between the project teams who need to work remotely.
Construction projects are generally complex in nature. It requires planning and
execution of various construction regard activities. This involves designing a
construction plan, providing construction architecture, communicating between
project teams, preparing a detailed construction schedule, executing
construction activities according to the plan and providing a complete
construction project to the client (Zuo et al. 2017).
Now all of these activities need to be executed properly as issues in one of
these activities will affect the overall execution of the project. Construction
projects are often delayed either due to lack of proper planning on not following

that planning properly. Now in both of these cases the project is scheduled to
be delayed which not only increases the time to complete the project but also
increase the project budget as well (Rahmani, Maqsood and Khalfan 2017). It
often becomes difficult to ensure that these issues are minimized even onsite
projects, therefore, remote construction projects are even more difficult to
execute properly while minimizing this issue and maximizing project success
through effective project planning, execution and project leadership.
3.2 Research Questions
The primary research questions that are considered in this research project
are the followings:
 Is automation required in construction project, especially projects
that are executed remotely?
 What are the factors that affects adoption of advanced
construction technologies in Australian construction projects?
 Why Australian construction companies are slow in adopting BIM
for project execution
 Is comprehensive framework available for deploying BIM in
remote construction projects in Australia?
This research questions will provide a detailed guideline for executing the
research. This research questions are considered in accordance with the
project aims and objectives defined in this context for ensuring that the project
is original and the research findings are significant for various Australian
organizations that are considering to adopt BIM in remote construction
projects.
3.3 Aims/Objectives of the Project
Although, developed countries have already adopted BIM in managing
construction projects, this is not the scenario in Australian construction
projects. The main reason that organizations in Australia has not adopted this
technology yet in large scale, is lack of proper and effective strategies for
which efficient framework is required. Hence, the main aim of the project is to
analyse issues in construction project from Australian perspective with detailed
research about application of BIM technology in Australian projects, especially
for remote construction projects. Along with that, this research aims to provide
different strategies in deploying BIM in remote construction and design an
effective framework for providing a comprehensive framework for integrating
BIM technology in Australian remote construction projects so that it is easier for
the Australian organizations to execute remote construction project.
3.4 Significance/Contribution to the discipline
The remote construction project is the execution of the construction work
remotely without direct communication between project authority and project
team. Now, this makes the execution of construction work difficult because due
to the remote location of the project it becomes difficult for project authority to
control construction workflow efficiently (Kestle and McKernan 2018). This also
leads to a lack of coordination between the project teams who need to work
remotely.

Construction projects are generally complex in nature. It requires planning and
execution of various construction regard activities. This involves designing a
construction plan, providing construction architecture, communicating between
project teams, preparing a detailed construction schedule, executing
construction activities according to the plan and providing a complete
construction project to the client (Puolitaival, McMullan and Kestle 2018). Now
all of these activities need to be executed properly as issues in one of these
activities will affect the overall execution of the project. Construction projects
are often delayed either due to lack of proper planning on not following that
planning properly. Now in both of these cases the project is scheduled to be
delayed which not only increases the time to complete the project but also
increase the project budget as well. It often becomes difficult to ensure that
these issues are minimized even onsite projects, therefore, remote
construction projects are even more difficult to execute properly while
minimizing this issue and maximizing project success through effective project
planning, execution and project leadership (Hong et al. 2019).
In order to deal with issues of a construction project, organizations around the
world are considering the adoption of technology for automating most of the
construction work to more speed and accuracy of execution of those activities
which otherwise is difficult to ensure manually through human expertise.
Application of BIM technology has become very popular in construction
projects for executing construction projects through the application of
technology. Countries around the world are adopting this BIM software for
bringing innovation, accuracy and excellence in project planning and execution
(Kim et al. 2016). Developed countries like the UK have already made it
mandatory for a footing BIM in construction for getting government funds for
completing projects. However, Australia is still behind in this approach and
most of the construction projects are Australia are either not familiar with this
technology or they do not have proper knowledge for adopting this technology
in construction planning and execution (Rodgers et al. 2015).
One of the main constraints of implementing BIM in the Australian construction
project is ensuring that the application of this technology is consistent with the
organizational change that automation might bring in the project execution
(Swift et al. 2017). Hence a comprehensive framework is required so that it
becomes easier for the construction companies in Australia to implement this
technology with expertise for ensuring success in the project (Forsythe,
Sankaran and Biesenthal 2015).
This research is therefore important in this context as it aims to prove a
comprehensive framework for adopting BIM in the Australian construction
projects. This framework will help companies to identify issues in the adoption
of this technology and strategies that they need to follow. Before organizations
start integrating this technology in construction projects, it is important for them
to analyze what are major issues that they might need to deal with in their
projects. While analyzing this issue, it is important to identify that issues for
remote construction projects are not same in every country and this changes
significantly according to the national context (Zhao 2017). Hence, it is
important to analyze this issues from Australian project context. This research
has therefore identified issues and constraints that are relevant in Australian
context which helps in projecting these issues in remote construction projects.
Therefore this framework that is provided in this research is consistent with the
projects requirements in Australia.

Many research has been conducted in analyzing issues of BIM adoption in
construction project, some has analyzed benefits of BIM implementation in
construction project, very few has researched about these benefits and issues
from Australian construction perspective, hence this research is original in this
context and thus helpful for construction companies, especially in Australia
who are deciding to implement this technology in remote construction projects.
The above discussion therefore justify that why the proposed research is an
important one and it is needed for construction projects in Australia. This
research provides the innovative aspects of the project and/or its approach.
Through a brief and analytical description of appropriate literatures on the
topic, it provides recent trends in the field of construction research and it also
analysis the specific ‘gap’ in this research context. This research through
providing effective framework for deploying BIM in construction projects with
detailed reference to the Australian context aims at improving this knowledge
gap.
3.5 Theoretical framework and methods
In order to analyse the research questions that are to be answered requires
description and justification of the specific ‘design’ in accordance to the actual
research project. This theoretical framework provides a concise and practical
descriptions along with detailed and in-depth explanations of the theoretical
tools this research project, which also includes the key procedures or steps of
the and assumptions related to the research approach, the specific tactics and
techniques considered in method considered in this project.
The research project first analyses the main constraints of implementing BIM in
the Australian construction project is ensuring that the application of this
technology is consistent with the organizational change that automation might
bring in the project execution. Hence a comprehensive framework that is
required so that it becomes easier for the construction companies in Australia
to implement this technology with expertise for ensuring success in the project
has been analyzed properly. However, Australia which is still behind in
integrating this technology requires to adopt this technology for improving
quality of construction projects. Most of the construction projects that are
executed in the Australia has not considered this technology and the main
issue is that they do not have proper knowledge for adopting this technology in
construction planning and execution.
In designing the framework for BIM adoption in Australian construction
projects, this research has done an in-depth study regarding strategies to deal
with issues of a construction project and also analyzed why organizations
around the world are considering the adoption of technology for automating
most of the construction work and how automation are helping them in
ensuring more speed and accuracy in execution of those activities and why it is
difficult to ensure manually through human expertise.
Methods followed in this project are:
 in-depth literature research for general overview for construction
project and its associated issues
 analyzing issues in construction project from Australian perspective
 detailed research about application of BIM technology in Australian
projects, especially for remote construction projects

 detailed research conducted in analyzing different strategies in
adopting BIM in remote construction projects with reference to the
issues in adoption
 developing appropriate framework for providing an comprehensive
framework for integrating BIM technology in Australian remote
construction projects
4 Budget
The research mainly requires to analyse existing literatures for this project and hence there is
no requirements for sophisticated tools and equipment and hence does not require any
dedicated budget for this project. However, some of the articles chosen for this research might
not be available for free. Hence to acquire those research papers, an estimated budget of
$1000 is required for this project.
4.1 Will you submit an application to a funding agency for support for your
project?
Yes No
4.2 Is this project contingent on funding support from elsewhere?
Yes No
5 Research timeline, and projected mode and content of the final output
Stage 1 (1 month): Literature review for acquiring information regarding general
overview for construction project and its associated issues
Stage 2 (1 month): Literature review for analysing issues in construction project from
Australian perspective. This also include detailed research about application of BIM
technology in Australian projects, especially for remote construction projects
Stage 3 (4 months): detailed research conducted in analysing different strategies in
adopting BIM in remote construction projects with reference to the issues in adoption
Projected output: provide an appropriate framework for integrating BIM technology in
Australian remote construction projects
6 Skills training and professional development
There is no requirement for any additional skills training and/or professional development as
the project does not require any additional skills rather than identifying and relevant literature
and then critically analyse them for retrieving information for conducting this research.
7 Other requirements
Other disciplinary requirements to be fulfilled for completion of this project:

 Extended literature review: detailed literature review conducted in the primary
research, however, application of proposed framework into actual construction projects
might require additional literature review
 Ethics clearance: there is no chance of ethical violence in this research, hence no
requirement for ethical clearance
8 References cited/Bibliography of planned reading
Forsythe, P., Sankaran, S. and Biesenthal, C., 2015. How far can BIM reduce information asymmetry in
the Australian construction context?. Project Management Journal, 46(3), pp.75-87.
Hay, A., Zuo, J., Han, S. and Zillante, G., 2017. Lessons Learned from Managing a Remote
Construction Project in Australia. In Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Advancement
of Construction Management and Real Estate (pp. 939-948). Springer, Singapore.
Hong, Y., Hammad, A.W., Sepasgozar, S. and Akbarnezhad, A., 2019. BIM adoption model for small
and medium construction organisations in Australia. Engineering, Construction and Architectural
Management, 26(2), pp.154-183.
Kestle, L. and McKernan, A., 2018. Learnings for construction project management personnel about
offshore projects: a case study.
Kim, K.P., Ma, T., Baryah, A.S., Zhang, C. and Hui, K.M., 2016. Investigation of readiness for 4D and
5D BIM adoption in the Australian construction industry. Management Review: An International
Journal, 11(2), p.43.
Puolitaival, T., McMullan, R. and Kestle, L., 2018. Competence development in advanced and emerging
construction technologies.
Rahmani, F., Maqsood, T. and Khalfan, M., 2017. An overview of construction procurement
methods in Australia. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 24(4),
pp.593-609.
Rodgers, C., Hosseini, M.R., Chileshe, N. and Rameezdeen, R., 2015, January. Building information
modelling (BIM) within the Australian construction related small and medium sized enterprises:
Awareness, practices and drivers. In ARCOM 2015: Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the
Association of Researchers in Construction Management (pp. 691-700). ARCOM.
Swift, J., Ness, D., Kim, K., Gelder, J., Jenkins, A. and Xing, K., 2017. Towards adaptable and reusable
building elements: Harnessing the versatility of the construction database through RFID and BIM.
In Proceedings of the UIA 2017 Seoul World Architects Congress.
Zhao, X., 2017. A scientometric review of global BIM research: Analysis and visualization. Automation
in Construction, 80, pp.37-47.
Zuo, J., Pullen, S., Rameezdeen, R., Bennetts, H., Wang, Y., Mao, G., Zhou, Z., Du, H. and Duan, H.,
2017. Green building evaluation from a life-cycle perspective in Australia: A critical review. Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 70, pp.358-368.