The Viability of BIM for UK Contractors

Taha Elhag
School of Construction and Project Management, UCL, London WC1E 7HB, UK
email: t.elhag@ucl.ac.uk
Mohammed Al-Sharifi
EC Harris, Built Asset Consultancy, London N1 9AB, UK
email: mohammed.al-sharifi@echarris.com

Abstract

The UK Government Construction Strategy set out BIM level 2 as a minimum requirement
for all government construction projects by 2016. According to Cabinet Office report, value
gained and efficiency in public sector projects needed to be improved significantly.
Therefore, this paper examines the potential benefits of BIM implementation for UK
contractors and consulting organisations. Twelve significant benefits were investigated and
ranked such as project coalition co-ordination; and clash detection particularly during the
design stage. This study struggled to provide tangible evidence for cost savings through the
use of BIM, but almost all participant contractors and consultants have a strong assumption
that BIM does generate cost savings. The study also showed that the benefit, which BIM
could bring to the commission/handover stage and facility management, has not yet
materialised according to UK contractors’ standpoint. This research emphasises the
significance of the social/cultural factors rather than the less influential technical issues for
BIM implementation. In contradiction to some literature, most organisations argued that no
‘legal and contractual issues’ have arisen with the use of level 2 BIM. However, it is
unanimously agreed that level 3 BIM will give rise to many legal and contractual issues that
will then need to be addressed. Most of the organisations involved in this study are already
utilising BIM at level 2. However, it is revealed that there is a need for increased awareness
down the construction supply chain and other relevant stakeholders. There is also a need for
greater efforts and willingness to embrace process change and other consequences for
introducing BIM within construction projects.

Keywords: BIM implementation, UK construction strategy, contractors and consultants

 1. Introduction

In May 2011 the UK Government’s Chief Construction Advisor proposed that all
Government construction projects must use BIM (Smith, 2012). In turn, the Government
issued the UK Construction Strategy report which stated it will require a “fully collaborated
Level 2 BIM as a minimum for construction projects by 2016”. The report specified that the
key instigator was the fact that the value gained and efficiency in public sector construction
projects needed to improve significantly (UK Cabinet Office, 2011).

The USA National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) (2008) defined BIM as “improved
planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance process using information model
of a facility throughout its lifecycle”. The development and implementation of BIM is a
gradual process as demonstrated in Figure (1) which reflects four levels of BIM related
applications (Bew 2012). Construction projects’ stakeholders will reach different BIM
maturity levels at varying points in time. Though most of these organisations have achieved
BIM Level 1, it is clear that there is an incentive now to push for higher levels to secure
public projects. However, what needed to be addressed are the implications and challenges
facing these organisations during this period of change.

Figure (1): BIM Maturity Levels (Source: Bew, 2012)

2. Potential Benefits of BIM

It has been assumed that BIM may be able to realise some of the visions of both Latham and
Egan reports published in 1994 and 1998 respectively, both emphasising the efficiencies that
can be achieved with integration and collaboration for the fragmented construction industry
(Light, 2011). According to the National Building Specification (NBS) annual survey of
2012, more than 80% of respondents were in consensus that BIM improves coordination
(Hurst, 2012). Arguably, one of the considerably noteworthy benefits of BIM is its
collaborative nature which allows for a better coordination of works.

Clash detection is one of the most common benefits of BIM. For instance, Figure (2)
demonstrates different aspects of BIM utilisation in Iceland and Scandinavia, and it is clear
that ‘clash detection’ is the most popular use for BIM in Scandinavia (Jensen and
Johannesson, 2013)

Figure (2): Utilisation of BIM for Different Activities (Source: Jensen and Johannesson,
2013)

From a health and safety perspective, contractors can visualise the construction site to identify
and anticipate potential health and safety hazards of site activities which also improves the
drafting of method statements and risk assessments for the construction stage of the project
(Kucharek, 2012). Lane (2011) identified that some UK main contractors use BIM for
assessing site logistics, visualising projects during inductions and for determining delivery
points on site, leading to efficient processes to be achieved such as just-in-time delivery
schedules.

BIM can also be used for early cost estimation and take-off concurrently as the initial design
and detailed design are developed (Eastman et al., 2011). This effectively means, BIM can be
used to make more informed and accurate decisions for investment appraisal, value
engineering and total required budget.

Eastman, et al. (2011) claims that because of high level of coordination of cross disciplinary
parties during the early phase of the project, the exact details of the construction elements are
finalised within this early design stage. Therefore, that allows for an increased use of off-site
prefabricated construction elements. Breen (2012) supports this view and suggests even more
complex off-site fabricated units can be ordered since the information needed for their order is
available in the early stages of the project. Moreover, with the use of the 3D BIM model, the
project team are able to ‘see’ how the building is assembled together, allowing any contractor
ordering prefabricated units to be sure that they will fit into the building (Lane, 2011).

A study by Breen (2012) shows that BIM has transformed the construction processes for a
major UK contractor in terms of ‘design for manufacture and assembly’ methods. That
contracting organisation have steered towards 70% off-site manufacturing of building
elements, which has reduced their on-site workforce by 60% and the construction programme
by 30%. In addition, when off-site manufacturing is used, the level of construction waste is
greatly reduced which in turn means more cost saving for the construction project (Eastman et
al., 2011).

However, pre-fabrication is not always the ideal solution. This is because if a pre-ordered
construction element with a set lead time (for manufacture and delivery) is subject to design
changes, this will be a problematic situation and may cause costly delays, acting as a
detriment to the project rather than benefit (Eastman et al., 2011).

According to the UK BIM Industry Working Group (2011), BIM is a vital ingredient to
improve performance trends and productivity of the construction industry. For instance, the
National Building Specification Report (NBS, 2013) highlights that at least 64% of
respondents of the survey agreed that BIM improved productivity.

Figure (3) extracted from the BIM Working Party Strategy Paper summarises the key benefits
of BIM against the RIBA plan of work stages (Bew, 2012).

Figure (3): Matching BIM Benefits with RIBA Project Phases (Source: Bew, 2012)
 3. Potential Challenges facing BIM

Evidence from the National Building Survey (2012) has indicated that there is a lack of
understanding in relation to BIM and its true definition and meaning. Whereby, 80% of those
questioned agreed that the industry ‘was not yet clear on what BIM is’ (Hurst, 2012).
According to the RICS members’ survey by BCIS (2011), 95% believed that the reason for
the lack of BIM adoption was due to insufficient training and education (Pittard, 2011).

The perception of BIM being merely a software, off-the-shelf, product cannot be further from
the truth argues Pittard (2011). The Technical Director for a leading UK consultancy
organisation regards cultural change within the construction industry as one of the most
important aspects to consider when implementing BIM (Lane, 2011).

Two-thirds of those who participated in the National Building Specification BIM Survey
(2012) indicated that BIM is very expensive to implement within the organisation (Hurst,
2012). Although there are costs associated with the adoption of BIM, one must not
underestimate the cost savings and efficiencies that BIM can yield as discussed in section 2
previously.

The procurement method is pivotal to how effective BIM is implemented in a project. The
construction procurement that facilitate early collaborative involvement of all key
stakeholders in the design stage are ideal to maximise the effective use of BIM (Eastman et
al., 2011). Integrated project delivery systems are seen to manifest BIM attributes while the
traditional method of procurement has been found to potentially impede the effective
implementation of BIM due to the lack of early involvement (Eastman et al., 2011)

BIM has stirred some controversy within legal circles for issues such as intellectual property
rights and legal liabilities (if there is no suitable framework in place to regulate the process.
Since the nature of the BIM entails contributions from various participants, there arises a
liability risk of infringing third party intellectual property rights (Udom, n.d.)

The ‘trailing edge’ of the industry, namely some small-scale suppliers and subcontractors, are
the parties that need help and clear targets for handling the effects of BIM. Therefore, ‘small,
but important steps’ should be taken by clients and/or main contractors to effectively
communicate with SMEs the technological, legal and cultural changes that will arise from the
BIM process (CIOB, 2011).

4.Analysis and Discussion

This study conducted eight interviews including five main contractors and three UK based
consultants. Through these interviews the paper examined the potential benefits of BIM
implementation for UK contractors and consulting organisations. Twelve significant benefits
were investigated and ranked (Table 1). The following subsections investigate and discuss the
six top ranked benefits according to UK experts’ views.
 Table (1): Ranking of Potential Benefits of BIM

No Little High Very Don't

benefit benefit benefit high know
benefit

Score Score Score Score Score

=0 =1 =2 =3 =0
Potential benefit Total Rating
Frequency of Potential Benefit Ranking
of BIM Level
Coordination 0 0 0 8 0 24 1
Clash detection 0 0 0 8 0 24 1
Understanding 0 0 3 5 0 21 2
Collaboration 0 0 3 5 0 21 2
Planning 0 0 4 4 0 20 3
Risk reduction 0 0 4 4 0 20 3
Productivity 0 0 5 3 0 19 4
Take-offs &
0 0 6 2 0 18 5
estimation
Cost savings 0 0 3 4 1 18 5
Off-site
0 1 5 2 0 17 6
manufacturing
Sustainability 0 0 7 1 0 17 6
Handover 0 2 4 2 0 16 7

4.1 Construction Planning

All eight interviewees agreed that BIM will contribute ‘high’ or ‘very high’ benefits for
project planning. The responses highlighted that BIM can improve planning by the ability to
model the logistic operations and rehearsing different scheduling scenarios before
commencing work on-site.

This is due to the fact that a 4D BIM model can; not only be linked with the construction
programme, meaning a contractor can actually observe the effects of different methodologies
and sequences in ’real-time’ on the programme; but also objects/components of the building
can be linked to respective tasks and resources required. Hence, one can visualise the site’s
development and can therefore plan the deployment of resources more effectively. However,
this depends on what stage a contractor is appointed onto a project because if the contractor is
not involved in the early stages of the project, these benefits will not be realised.

These opinions are in consensus with the claims made by Breen (2012) which stated that
contractors could simulate different construction sequences in order to select the optimal
project scheduling.

4.2 Collaboration

The interviewees agreed that BIM facilitates ‘high’ to ‘very high’ collaboration between the
different stakeholders. This resulted in better multidisciplinary solutions being generated that
accounted for the interfaces between building elements. Some organisations experienced the
use of BIM in team meetings which enhanced the collaborative nature of these meetings. For
instance, there is an increased level of understanding when parties are inter-communicating
since they are exposed to the same information i.e. one shared model, meaning that there is
less room for misunderstanding and the use of outdated data and information.

However, it was highlighted that there is still room for increased collaboration, especially at
level 3 BIM. Moreover, some respondents revealed that some parties have resisted full
collaboration because of legal concerns.

These results are in consensus with the explanation of Sacks, et al (2010) that the
collaborative nature of BIM leads to coordinated design; as well as the claim made by
Maturana (n.d.) that BIM can be used in team meetings and subcontractor coordination
meetings.

4.3 Understanding

BIM contributes to an improved understanding in different aspects for construction projects as

indicated by the interviewees who rated that as ‘high’ to ‘very high’ benefits. This is mainly
through the 3D BIM model which provides a comprehensive appreciation of the intended
outcomes for even those who lacked a technical background from the stakeholders. This also
helps in eliminating the barrier to positive and valuable contributions. Better understanding
potentially results in a fit for purpose project or building that better meets the needs and
requirements of stakeholders.

The interviewees indicated that the traditional 2D modelling, in contrast to BIM, hinders vital
input and involvement from clients, end-users and other non-professional stakeholders
because of the difficulties and struggles they face to comprehend 2D drawings.

This reinforces the claim made by Breen (2012) which stated that better understanding is
achieved through BIM 3D model, ultimately leading to more informed evaluations, comments
and decision making by a range of stakeholders.

4.4 Clash Detection

The study demonstrated that all experts, who were interviewed, rated the level of benefit of
coordination from the use of BIM to be ‘very high benefit’ .It was revealed that many of the
clashes detected with BIM are always overlooked with traditional design methods. Many
organisations have not carried out empirical studies to be able to associate the number of
clashes detected by BIM and the corresponding cost savings for construction projects.

However, one of the organisations involved in this interview survey indicated that for one
project through the use of BIM they managed to detected about 100 clashes which saved them
around £350,000, meaning each clash saved an average of £3,500. This average saving is in
contrast to the one stated by the BIM Journal study (2012) which is around £10,500.
Nevertheless, this figure depends on a considerable range of factors such as type and size of
clashes and building components, complexity of design, … etc.
 4.5 Coordination

The study showed that 100% of the interviewees rated the level of benefit of coordination
from the use of BIM with the highest rate, ‘very high benefit’. It is argued that one of the
most valuable coordination benefit derived from BIM is design coordination. Design changes
with BIM become more efficient and smoother process because different components are
linked together and are updated accordingly. For instance, BIM enables minute design details
such as connection details to be coordinated effectively.

These results are in line with other literature and research such as Pittard (2011) who argued
that traditional methods made the task of coordination a less easy task and can be time-
consuming. These interview responses are also in consensus with the claims made by
Sebastian (2011) and Eastman (2011) which state that BIM can aid the coordination of the
design process between different project stakeholders.

4.6 Risk reduction

The interviewees believed that BIM had a positive impacted on reducing risk, rating it as
either ‘very high benefit’ (50% of them) or ‘high benefit’ (the other 50%). Their opinions
could summarised as follows: (a) because BIM produces a more coordinated work flow and
environment, this reduces the risks of design and construction stage; (b) because BIM enables
better modelling of the life-cycle of the building, safety measures are better planned for,
which reduces H&S risks; and (c) although there arises some legal and contractual risks with
BIM, others argued that because BIM increases the level of communication and
understanding between parties, these risks as well as risks of misunderstandings would be
reduced.

The responses from the interviewees regarding health and safety are echoed by Lane (2011),
who stated that BIM allows contractors to visualise the site to identify and anticipate potential
H&S hazards of site activities, which also improves the drafting of method statements and
risk assessments.

5. Conclusions

This research demonstrated that all those organisations participated in the survey were on
Level 2 BIM as well as being on track for UK BIM requirements by 2016. In this study it was
evident that most BIM benefits addressed in the literature were endorsed by the interviewees
such as clash detection, coordination which were ranked the highest benefits of BIM as
presented in Table (1). While other possible benefits were challenged such as the benefits to
the handover stage of the project, which was ranked the least BIM benefit; followed by
sustainability and off-site manufacturing benefits.

The study found that BIM enabled construction contractors to use the virtual environment to
model site logistics which reduces health and safety risks. In addition, BIM was used to
‘rehearse’ different sequences and methodologies beforehand, in the virtual environment, to
execute the optimum methodology at construction stage.
On the other hand, productivity with BIM was supposed to be reduced at the initial stage of a
project. However, productivity gains were made through increasing the use of off-site
manufacturing and reducing the time for design development (since different design
documents can be generated from BIM 3D models).

Quantity take-offs and cost estimation through BIM was found to be an area that is not fully
implemented in the industry. Nevertheless, its potential of time savings and accuracy of
output was recognised.

In terms of cost savings, all participating organisations except one struggled to provide
tangible evidence for cost savings, which is the reason why this factor did not achieve a high
score as one of BIM benefits. Nevertheless, all interviewees had a strong assumption that
BIM does generate cost savings.

With regard to off-site manufacturing, it was a disputed area; some argued it is 3D modelling,
which was in existence before BIM, that enabled the increase in its use; while others asserted
that early availability of detailed and accurate information through BIM was the determining
factor.

In terms of the benefit to the handover stage, it was demonstrated that BIM is not fully
implemented in the industry at the facilities management and operational stage. Hence why
documents such as O&M manuals merely have a ‘potential’ to be incorporated in BIM at this
stage. This is mainly the reason why the benefit BIM brings to the handover stage achieved
the lowest score.

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