BIO Web of Conferences 93, 04019 (2024) https://doi.org/10.

1051/bioconf/20249304019
Forestry Forum 2023

Effectiveness of using BIM in construction:

comparative analysis and evaluation
methodology
Tamara Narezhnaya1*, Andrei Ovsiannikov2 , and Vladimir Bolgov2
1
Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, 129337, Moscow, Russia
2
Voronezh State Technical University, 20th Anniversary of October, 84, 394006, Voronezh, Russia

Abstract. The paper focuses on investigating methods to improve the

integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction
sector with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of executing investment and
construction projects. The relevance is caused by the complexity of
calculating the economic effect in the short-term planning period when
implementing investment and construction projects using BIM and,
accordingly, the lack of methods for economic justification of the need and
possibility of using BIM at the design and construction stages. The study
aims to compare modern software products and establish a methodology for
evaluating the effectiveness of utilizing BIM in investment and construction
projects (ICP). This methodology will facilitate conducting an economic
analysis to justify the integration of these technologies in project
implementation. The study concluded with an examination of global
implementation practices, identification of challenges in BIM utilization, a
survey of software alternatives, and an assessment of current approaches for
economically justifying the adoption of BIM throughout various stages of
the ICP life cycle. The research is based on systemic, process and situational
approaches, methods of comparative and factor analysis, as well as methods
of economic-mathematical and graphical modeling.

1 Introduction
Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies are gradually but steadily entering the
global construction industry, displacing traditional approaches to planning and construction
management. Modern reality imposes new, previously unimposed requirements for the
design of construction projects. In contemporary construction management, it is essential to
have not just a project plan for a facility but also its information model. This model
encompasses all the vital information needed for the entire lifespan of the investment and
construction project [1, 2].
Over the course of its existence, the traditional approach to design processes with
performing analytical calculations and issuing a set of drawings and specifications based on

* Corresponding author: NarezhnayaTK@mgsu.ru

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
BIO Web of Conferences 93, 04019 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20249304019
Forestry Forum 2023

CAD design has accumulated quite a lot of shortcomings that can be easily solved with the
help of BIM. The development of a digital information model using BIM can reduce
construction duration and increase the economic efficiency of creating complex construction
projects. Solutions based on a digital information model provide determination of estimated
costs, control of construction processes, identification of inconsistencies in the project,
exchange of information between participants in an investment and construction project, as
well as planning and optimization of construction processes, which leads to a reduction in
material consumption costs, increased productivity and cost reduction at all stages of the life
cycle of investment and construction projects [3].
Activation of BIM implementation processes in the construction industry depends on the
ability to assess the economic effect of using BIM at the main stages of the ICP life cycle.
Unfortunately, existing methods for calculating the economic effect in construction do not
take into account the specifics of the industry and are not adapted to the conditions for using
BIM [4]. Therefore, an urgent goal of working to accelerate the implementation of BIM in
the construction industry is to develop a methodology for selecting BIM options based on
calculating the efficiency indicators of using information modeling technology at the main
stages of the ICP life cycle.

2 Materials and Methods

In today's market, there is a wide range of software products available for implementing a
BIM project in the investment and construction sector. These software tools are utilized at
different stages of the project life cycle. The majority of leading software systems have
demonstrated their effectiveness through successful applications across various segments of
the global construction industry [5].
To initiate the evaluation of software products for a BIM project, the first step is to outline
a set of tasks (referred to as BIM tasks) that cover all phases of the project life cycle. These
tasks establish the groundwork for incorporating BIM into an investment and construction
project and serve as the foundation for BIM project planning.
To identify problems solved using BIM tools, methodological recommendations “The
BIM Project Execution Planning Guide” (The Pennsylvania State University) were
developed in the USA. This document formulates 25 primary and secondary tasks of using
BIM with a step-by-step algorithm for their implementation [6].
BIM tasks are divided into main and additional (subtasks). Table 1 presents a list of the
main BIM tasks for each stage of the life cycle of an investment and construction project in
accordance with the current level of BIM use in the construction industry [7].
Table 1. List of main BIM tasks tied to the life cycle stages of an investment and construction project.

ICP life cycle stages Main tasks of using BIM

Analysis of the location, environmental, engineering and

Justification of geological situation of the future construction site.
investments Development and comparison of options for architectural and
(feasibility study) urban planning concepts, determination of technical and
economic indicators of space-planning solutions.

Development of an information model.

Engineering survey
Issue of drawings and specifications.
Design
Testing and evaluation of technical solutions.

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Spatial coordination and collision detection.

Calculating the scope of work and assessing the estimated cost.
Engineering and technical calculations.
Development of a construction organization project and a
comprehensive enlarged network schedule.
Visualization of the construction process.
Construction management.
Geodetic alignment works.
Construction
Geodetic control in construction.
Monitoring occupational health and safety
Digital production of building structures and products
Maintenance and repair planning.
Performance monitoring.
Operation
Management of operation of buildings and structures.
Modeling of emergency situations.

In global practice, the listed information modeling tasks are called BIM Uses. The options
for using BIM Uses are different: from using BIM to solve one problem at one stage and
ending with the integrated use of BIM Uses throughout the entire life cycle of an investment
and construction project. For example, in some cases, an information model is created to
calculate the scope of work and obtain estimates, and in other cases, to coordinate participants
in an investment and construction project [8].
In order to assess the variability of choice, Table 2 presents the software products
available on the market and used in information modeling in the context of the ICP life cycle.
Table 2. Software for information modeling in the context of the ICP life cycle.
ICP life cycle stages
BIM software for Justification of Engineering
specific ICP investments survey Construction Operation
(feasibility study) Design
InfraWorks 360 X О О О
IndorGIS X О О О
X О О
GeoniCS X
Revit О X О О
ArchiCAD О X О О
Renga О X О О
NANOCAD О X О О
Electri CS О X О О
Model Studio CS О X О О
Project Studio CS О X О О
АВС estimate О X О О
5D estimate О X О О
Bentley AECOsim О О X О
Autodesk О X О
X
Navisworks
BIM 360 О X X О
Exon О X X О
BIMeister О О X О
Plan-R О О X О
MStroy О О О
X

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TDMS Farvater О О X О
IYNO О О X О
SODIS LAB О О О X
CADLib О О О X

X – used at the life cycle stage, О – not used at the life cycle stage.
An analysis of Table 2 shows that to solve all of the listed tasks (even within one stage)
of information modeling, a certain set of several software products, and also different
development companies, is required.
The analysis of software products for information modeling of investment and
construction processes shows that in the context of many software options and BIM Uses, it
is quite difficult and almost impossible to assess the effectiveness of BIM implementation in
investment and construction projects. Therefore, to solve this research problem, a
decomposition of the investment and construction project is carried out and the effectiveness
of using BIM at the design stage is considered to solve the main problem of using information
modeling in the Russian construction industry – the release of design and working
documentation [9].
At the current time, most companies in the Russian investment and construction industry
are actively using BIM to solve this problem when designing construction projects. As part
of this study, an analysis is carried out of the two most popular software packages used by
domestic companies at the design stage: Revit and Renga.
Since the Renga and Revit software packages discussed above most fully comply with
the requirements of the current level of BIM development in the domestic construction
industry, then a detailed analysis of these software products will be carried out, on the basis
of which the criteria for assessing the effectiveness and selection of a software package for
an investment and construction project using BIM will be determined [9].

3 Results
As part of this study, a comparative analysis of software options used at the design stage for
an investment and construction project implemented using BIM is carried out, taking into
account the current level of implementation of information modeling in the construction
industry.
The comparative analysis is carried out taking into account the requirements and
limitations of information modeling software when choosing the BIM option for a specific
investment and construction project.
Table 3 presents a comparative analysis of three software packages (Revit, Renga and
NanoCAD) taking into account the requirements of regulatory documents in accordance with
the current level of BIM implementation in the Russian construction industry.
Table 3. Comparative analysis of software systems (Revit, Renga and NanoCAD)
Software requirements for BIM modeling of
No. Revit Renga NanoCAD
a specific ICP
1 Availability of a shared data environment
X X X
2 Possibility of using the open IFC data
О* X X
exchange format
3 Possibility of collaboration of all related
X X X
specialists on a single information model
4 Possibility to check design solutions and
О** О** X
information model

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5 Possibility to perform necessary engineering

О** О** X
calculations
6 Possibility of calculating the volume of work
О О О
and estimating the estimated cost**

X – software compliance with requirements, О – software non-compliance with requirements

* - the RVT format is used with subsequent conversion to the RVT format.
** - additional software is required to meet these requirements.

The Revit software package is one of the first platforms in the field of BIM design. In
Revit, the design of the structural part (metal structures and reinforced concrete products) is
implemented at a high level based on the construction of a digital analytical model. Revit's
engineering capabilities are less advanced, limiting full calculations and the creation of
information dependent on engineering system calculations. The popularity of the Revit
software platform is caused by the presence of a convenient interface and a large database of
families, which are ready-made objects and elements.

Analysis of existing methods for

assessing the effectiveness of BIM

Defining BIM performance indicators

Development of an Defining software

economic and options
mathematical model

Determining additional costs when Calculation of the economic effect at

designing a construction project using the construction stage when using
BIM BIM in a specific project

Calculation of the
net effect from
the introduction
of BIM in ICP

No
Analysis of the results obtained

Yes Additional
selection of software options
Approval and selection of software option

Fig. 1. Algorithm for developing a methodology for calculating the economic effect of using BIM in a
specific project.

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Today, one of the main factors that makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of using
BIM in investment and construction projects is the availability of different options for the
software used. Therefore, it is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of BIM implementation
in ICP using a new methodology based on an algorithm for selecting software for a specific
ICP, presented in Figure 1, taking into account the current level of using BIM in the Russian
construction industry.
The algorithm presented in Figure 1 provides for assessing the effectiveness of using BIM
in a specific ICP at the construction stage, which is especially important for assessing the
economic effect of using BIM in ICP obtained in the short-term planning period.
According to the presented algorithm, at the first stage, an analysis of the currently
available methods for assessing the effectiveness of BIM is carried out, taking into account
the application in a specific ICP.
Next, at the second stage, indicators are determined on the basis of which the economic
efficiency of using special software for information modeling in a specific ICP is calculated.
The effectiveness of BIM implementation primarily depends on the following factors:
∆S – reduction in construction costs (expenses),
∆T – reduction of construction duration,
∆m – improving the quality of design documentation “approved for construction”.
The dependence of the effectiveness of BIM implementation in specific ICPs on the
factors listed above can be represented as a function:
EBIM=f(∆S, ∆T, ∆m), (1)
where EBIM - reduction in costs for the implementation of ICP, reflects the economic effect
of the introduction of BIM, which manifests itself in a reduction in construction costs and is
assessed according to the following cost indicators:
a) reduction in costs for the semi-variable part of overhead costs;
b) reduction in direct construction costs;
c) total reduction in construction and installation costs;
d) reduction in costs for implementing ICP.
Reducing the time (∆T) for the implementation of ICP gives an economic effect in the
form of reducing costs for the semi-variable part of overhead costs.
Improved quality (∆m) implies a reduction in costs for adjusting design documentation,
a more accurate calculation of the amount of materials without excess inventories, as well as
a reduction in the costs of rework during construction and installation work.
Reducing construction costs (∆S) depends on reducing direct costs.
Next, an economic and mathematical model is proposed, on the basis of which the
economic efficiency of using BIM in a specific ICP is assessed, and which includes:
1) determination of additional costs when designing a construction project
using BIM;
2) calculation of the economic effect at the construction stage when using
BIM in a specific ICP, which manifests itself in the form of a reduction in
construction and installation costs;
3) calculation of the net economic effect from the implementation of BIM in
a specific ICP, which manifests itself in the form of a reduction in the costs of
implementing the ICP.
The obtained calculation results are analyzed in order to make a decision on the need to
use specialized software for BIM modeling in a specific ICP or to use a traditional approach
using CAD design. At the final stage, software is selected to create an information model of
the construction site in a specific ICP.

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4 Discussion
After analyzing the global utilization of BIM in the investment and construction sector, it
was found that the Russian construction industry significantly lags behind developed foreign
countries that are leading in the adoption of BIM in the investment and construction
processes. This lag behind foreign countries is primarily due to the inability to assess the
economic effect in the short-term planning period, because There is no methodology that
allows assessing the effectiveness of BIM application at the construction stage.
The research suggests a step-by-step algorithm for creating a local methodology to
evaluate the efficiency of BIM usage in investment and construction projects within the
unique context of Russia. The algorithm contains seven main stages that take into account
the regulatory framework of the Russian Federation and options for the possible use of
software available on the Russian market for ICP implemented using BIM.

5 Conclusion
Following the evaluation of software for BIM in the ICP sector, a comprehensive list of
software systems utilized for information modeling in construction projects was created. A
comparative analysis was conducted based on a tailored model for selecting software to be
employed during the design phase. An algorithm for selecting software for ICP implemented
using BIM has also been developed, which is based on an economic and mathematical model
for calculating the economic effect resulting from a reduction in construction costs.
The developed methodology for assessing the effectiveness of BIM application is based
on the calculation of cost reduction for the semi-variable part of overhead costs due to a
reduction in construction duration and the magnitude of the reduction in direct costs as a
result of increasing the accuracy of construction cost calculations. Because the use of BIM
entails an increase in design costs (by almost 20%), the total economic effect is calculated as
the difference between the reduction in construction costs and the increase in design costs.

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