The Use of BIM in the Project Management of Construction Projects

Posted: August 26th, 2021

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The Use of BIM in the Project Management of Construction Projects

Literature Review

According to Gökgür(2020), Building Information Modeling (BIM) refers to a reliable, three dimensional, digital, and virtual representation of a project to be built. In construction projects, BIM is primarily used in design decision making, construction scheduling and planning, and cost estimation. The American BIM Handbook describes BIM as a computer-aided modeling technology that serves the purpose of managing the information of a construction project by focusing on the production, communication, and analysis of the building information models. Also, the National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee describes BIM as a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such, BIM serves as a shared knowledge resource for information concerning the facility, and thus, aiding in the formation of a reliable basis for the decisions that are to be made during its lifecycle onwards from the inception stage.

            Basing on their amounts, variety, and cost, construction projects continue to constitute a significant component of nearly all realms of human life. In this regard, 2014 data from the Census Bureau estimates that more than $125 billion is spent annually in the construction industry. These projects usually range from small residential units to mega commercial facilities. It is important to note that regardless of the scale of a given construction project, there is always that necessity for adequate management of it. Globally, the management of any construction project needs the knowledge of modern management methodology as well as a thorough understanding of all the construction processes. As construction-related technology keeps changing with time, the organizational arrangement, and the management of construction projects vary (Gökgür 12). By definition, construction project management refers to the series of activities through which one can determine how, when, and by whom the construction work will be performed. National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee has been keen over the years to updatethese variables for the clear consumption of anyone who is involved in a construction project.

            Pittard, Steve, and Peter (2018) postulate that BIM supports the optimization of building designs in order to help in the selection of alternative design elements and materials before they are actually used in a construction project. Additionally, before the commencement of a construction project, it is commonplace for participants to want to know the visual building model through its 3D appearance. It is imperative to communicate this 3D Model with the project’s owner, contractor, and architect then cut down the design errors or order variations. Thus far, it is clear that BIM plays a paramount role in the construction industry through its unwritten though existent strengthening of interactions between different project parties. In technical construction terms, BIM is applied in 3D, 4D, and 5D models. A brief explanation of how each of these BIM models is applied given below.

The Application of BIM 3D Model

Site planning is the first stage of construction commencement work in any given building construction project. Activities conducted at this stage include the creation of a temporary fence, tower crane location, site entrance, deployment of a temporary generator, and securing of a temporary water tank. For the construction engineers involved in the overall project, it is important at this stage that they simulate real facilities and equipment relationships to be employed from the first project step to the very last. Thus, these engineers require a tool with which they can rehearse the implementation of this relationship as much as possible in the virtual space. The BIM 3D model has widely been used as the tool through which various construction site components can visually, though virtually, be shown. Besides the simulation of the BIM 3D model, other site planning matters are found out through the collective knowledge of the engineers involved. The National Building Information Model Standard Project Committee recommends the use of BIM 3D technology during the pre-construction stage of projects. Over the years, the results of adhering to this recommendation have been impressive.

            Kerosuo et al., (2015), presented a practical application of the BIM Tool as a designing parametric whose primary objective was to create a rich information model. Through the BIM 3D Model application, the main project contractor and other participants get to amicably agree on a reasonable site plan in accordance with the construction condition and also optimize the allocated space for facilities, equipment, and material store location. As an effective breakaway from the traditional design working, this process significantly aids the construction management team to get a suitable site layout and thus choose a feasible construction plan. Thus, through the application of BIM 3D Model in with construction projects makes it possible for the construction drawings to be presented in three main views to the architect. These are layout, section, and elevation. These views make the design information of a construction project to be easily separable and thus easier to understand for all the concerned stakeholders. The construction project stakeholders use this platform to integrate collaborative design amid all other available professional information on the subject.

Application of BIM 4D Function in Construction Projects

In comparison with the traditional project management methods, modern management methods make it a daunting task to find out clash challenges between construction among the various involved parties. Through this detection of clashes, the overall efficiency is significantly improved when the construction project participants interact through the application of BIM 4D Models. Thus, the 4D makes it easy for the checking of clash issues and also in the enabling of communication to take place among the participants. Upon accurate determination through this interaction, relevant participants of a construction project can modify the design plan so as to eliminate the previously included construction risks.

 In traditional construction projects, work schedule management was solely based on 2D drawings, which usually have deplorable visibility problems as such, difficulty in communication between different project participants. Oftentimes, therefore, notable variations between the actual construction progress and the work schedule plan were ever-present. To solve this challenge, engineers designed the BIM 4D technology, which simulates the project construction work progress and provides a mechanism for the monitoring of entry time of construction personnel, equipment, and materials. Kerosuo et al. (2017) believe that the BIM 4D model can provide reliable work schedule management throughout the construction process. Thus, the BIM 4D model guides the sequence of each section in the construction period.

            Application of the BIM 5D Model in Construction Projects

In construction projects, the 5D Model provides different quantity information that a computer can use to carry out statistical analysis quickly. The end result of such a quickened process is the rapid reduction in potential manual errors. Thus, it is very much possible to obtain more accurate quantity surveys through the application of the BIM 5D model. Since 2015, the BIM 5D has widely been used for project budget estimation and construction cost control. Crotty, (2020) adopted the adoption of BIM 5D Model in the management of construction project waste materials. In turn, these processes have been instrumental in minimizing the construction waste generation in the design. Further, through the statistical analysis of the structural steel ration of buildings, the BIM 5D Model can go a long way in realizing a significant wastage of reinforcement on buildings.

 Under the investment objectives, variations in the construction projects pose the imminent threat of enabling engineers to realize accurate cost controls. Therefore, the BIM 5D Model provides the construction industry with the much-needed mechanisms of improving design accuracy as much as possible to reduce order variations in the course of the construction process. Furthermore, the BIM 5D Model provides room for the integration of relevant variation information, which includes the project quantity, cost, and work schedule. The two main flows that appear in a typical chain within the construction industry are information flow and material flow. Mäki, Tarja, and Kerosuo (2020) have tried to inventory the newly developed responsibilities that come with BIM. Interestingly, the outcome from these roles are not only related to the technical competencies of the involved participants but also incorporate their leadership-related aspects. In view of all these developments, it is apparent that a greater requirement and expectation for BIM is growing within the construction industry. Thus, it has rapidly become an integral part of the lifecycle of numerous construction projects.

Works Cited

Crotty, Ray. The impact of building information modelling: transforming construction. Routledge, 2013.

Gökgür, Ata. Current and future use of BIM in renovation projects. MS thesis. 2015.

Kerosuo, Hannele, et al. “Challenges of the expansive use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction projects.” Production 25.2 (2015): 289-297.

Mäki, Tarja, and Hannele Kerosuo. “Site managers’ daily work and the uses of building information modelling in construction site management.” Construction management and economics 33.3 (2015): 163-175.

Pittard, Steve, and Peter Sell. BIM and quantity surveying. Routledge, 2017.