A STUDY ON BIM: BIM Advancements and Success Factors: Construction Modeling, Information Mobility – Reported 25% Less Site Labor on projects utilizing BIM

Enough BIM projects have been completed in recent years for the industry to be able to consistently measure the positive impact of model-based processes on key project outcomes, as well as to determine what factors contribute to and impede these positive impacts.

SUCCESS FACTORS AND OBSTACLES

To quantify improvements related to BIM, this study establishes the percentage impact of six BIM activities on seven distinct project outcomes, from the differing perspectives of architects, engineers and contractors. To identify the drivers behind these improvements, the respondents also rated the frequency with which they experience 10 activities that should contribute toimproved outcomes from BIM and their view on the relative positive impact of each. From the opposite perspective, the study also examines the negative impact of six obstacles to success with BIM. Combining the findings about the most positive drivers and the most negative obstacles, the study identifies four key success factors that the data indicate should be top priorities for BIM teams.

HIGH-IMPACT OUTCOMES

Because the percentage of impact from BIM can be quite large on these labor-related outcomes, architects, engineers and contractors who reported at least some degree of impact were asked to identify the degree of that impact as being in one of these ranges: less than 25%, 25%–50% or more than 50%.  The chart shows the combined percentage of all respondents who

experience more than a 25% improvement.

DIRECT IMPACT OF BIM ON LABOR

The explosive growth of model-driven prefabrication has been extensively documented in the BIM research reports from Dodge Data & Analytics’ SmartMarket Report series. Now that many of the projects on which this practice has been deployed are complete, almost a third (31%) of the respondents reports seeing at least 25% Less Site Labor Due to More Offsite Fabrication. This trend can be expected to High BIM Impact Percentage reporting that BIM has at least 25% positive impact on these project outcomes increase as further industrialization of the construction process gains traction.

Addressing the labor still deployed at the jobsite, over a quarter (27%) of those reporting some impact find they get at least 25% Improved Labor Productivity as a result of model-based processes.  Among contractors, only 7% report no impact on productivity. 

In an industry facing increasingly critical labor shortages, these positive impacts of BIM on labor confirm its benefit as a force-multiplying resource enhancement.

Download the entire report here….

Source: Smart Brief