Our new study, “Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Infor- mation Management,” examines challenges related to sharing project information, including model data. The study included a survey fielded by the Dodge Construction Network and a closed-session roundtable panel discussion composed of architects, engineers, and contractors. The study uncovered both technological and human obstacles to ef- fectively sharing model data. Although the industry has evolved in this area with the introduction of BIM, our study revealed some inconsis- tencies related to adoption and use. What is BIM – Building Information Modeling? According to the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), “BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such it serves as a shared knowledge resource for informa- tion about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle from inception onward.” BIM goes beyond traditional 3D modeling by providing extended in- formation such as component relationships, standards, specifications, information about size, square footage, material makeup, fire rating, finishes, manufacturer, and performance data. Given that all stakeholders share a common goal of delivering success- ful projects, it is surprising that BIM is not widespread. We asked some key questions in our study to try and understand where the roadblocks are with BIM adoption. Who has a BIM process? We asked several questions related to the state of BIM, starting with a question regarding the use of a BIM process. There is some good news. Many of our survey respondents (67 percent) indicated that they do have a BIM process. However, it was surprising to learn that only one- third of engineers do. In addition, less than half of general contractors deploy a BIM process. Removing the Roadblocks to Sharing Model Data By Peg Landry
Our study reveals that most architects (88 percent) have a BIM process, but other stakeholders lag. So how is information being shared, and is it being shared effectively? It may be that each stakeholder has their own BIM silos. In our round- table discussion, Nathan Wood from the Construction Progress Coali - tion shared “The big question is, whose model is it and at what point in time? And is there one model or are there different copies of the model where we think it’s one copy but it’s not? Who has the contractual obligation to maintain that model? There are still a lot of unknowns.” Who’s using a BIM platform? In addition to asking survey participants if they have a BIM process, we also asked if they have a BIM Coordination Platform. Although most architects (66 percent) have a BIM coordination platform, only one-third of engineering and general contractors have this type of tech- nology in place.
How is model data shared? If many project stakeholders do not have a BIM coordination platform, how is model data being shared? We asked survey participants to tell us how design-related documents are being shared in the handover phase. File transfer software was the top answer. Surprisingly, some respondents are also emailing. Top challenges managing BIM The highest-ranking net top three challenge was getting non-BIM stake- holders to participate and provide input on models. Given that non-BIM stakeholders most likely do not have a BIM process or a collaboration platform, it’s not surprising that it is difficult to get them to participate in BIM. Architects ranked this higher than their engineering and contractor counterparts (39 percent vs. 18 percent and 28 percent, respectively). Another challenge that also ranked high in the net top three is collaborat- ing and sharing information with people outside their organization. Participation from non-BIM stakeholders Sixty-two percent of respondents from this year’s survey (net top three ranking) say the key obstacle to managing BIM information is convincing non-BIM stakeholders to take part and provide input. Our roundtable panel provided some insight as to why this may be a prob- lem. Access and security were two major themes.
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May 2023 csengineermag.com
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