On the fast track of BIM

How is the BIM adoption rate in your specific region?

Moeller: From a global perspective, the markets are in different phases. In the US and Canada, construction companies are very open to adopt BIM. The dominance of key BIM authoring tools helps stimulate the market (studies on efficiency arose mainly in the US), so the sensitising simply is very high. In Europe and the Middle East, the markets are either led by early adopters (typically big construction companies) or regulations by the different countries to apply BIM for public projects. This legal push increases the necessity of contractors to find appropriate BIM solutions to rollout across their complete businesses. Many of them are in the process of evaluating which solutions fit best to the companies' setup or are piloting solutions on test projects. The markets are rather fragmented, crystalising in various BIM authoring tools across the many European countries. Also applying BIM processes for infrastructure projects has been pushed for, especially in the Scandinavian countries. In APAC, Australia and New Zealand are greatly influenced by the impulses from the US. Contractors are keen to apply proven theory into practice.

King: From one country to another, adoption rates vary across the region. This also includes the different industries in which BIM is being adopted, with some areas seeing a higher adoption in infrastructure than in building construction. Within EMEA, the UK has been vocal in its ambition to adopt BIM, with an aim to reduce the cost and carbon output on government funded construction projects by up to 20 per cent. Its target of April 2016 to hit ‘Level 2’ BIM has accelerated the UK industry to adopt BIM. Other countries, such as Spain, France and Portugal, have begun the development of standards and strategies to increase the adoption of BIM. Groups have been set up to support and advise both the government and companies, using industry experts to define the roadmaps and requirements for each unique country and culture. With anything that requires change and adoption of new processes and technology, people can be resistant - particularly if they are confused or disappointed with the potential change. BIM is no different, with much of the work for successful adoption relying on gaining buy-in from all stakeholders and proving the real value, whether that be through improved quality or reduced costs.

Williams: BIM adoption rates in APAC are wide and varied. Statistically there are high adoption rates in Singapore, Korea, Japan and New Zealand. Governments in APAC are starting to deploy new regulations regarding the building construction permit. Japan, South Korea and Singapore have already included BIM documents as mandatory requirement, especially for public buildings, alongside green certification related documents. On the other hand, Hong Kong, India and Malaysia are starting to evaluate and only just starting the process. Other countries are expected to follow.

The current issue in APAC, especially Southeast Asia, is the Technology Block. Many people are providing BIM data but reverting to standard practices down the chain. The term "Shadow BIM" has been used.

Hayes: BIM adoption in North America is growing. According to the SmartMarket report, “The Business Value of BIM in North America,” published by McGraw Hill Construction in 2012, overall adoption of BIM increased from 17 per cent in 2007 to 71 per cent in 2012. In a global report published in 2013 (“The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets”), 24 per cent of respondents reported “heavy” use of BIM (using it on 31-60 per cent of all projects), and 28 per cent reported “very heavy use” (more than 60 per cent of projects).

Despite this growth, there are some challenges. One hurdle is that many field teams are still working in 2D. They don’t always have the easy-to-use 3D field tools available to them, and they might not even be aware of the solutions that exist. They also distrust the 3D information coming from the office because it hasn’t always been accurate in the past. Having the right tools in the field is imperative to overcoming these challenges.

Recent developments are making BIM easier and lowering the barrier to entry. For example, Leica iCON build is very easy to use and provides the ability to overlay 3D models with layout points in the field; the Leica ScanStation P16 with one-button-push scanning is helping to democratise scanning in construction; and the automatic registration and visual alignment capabilities in Leica Cyclone makes it easier for contractors to use point clouds on their construction projects.

Explore Chapter 3: What advice would you give professionals looking to start a BIM program? - Part 1

Story: On the fast track of BIM
Chapter 1: Why is BIM becoming so popular throughout the industry? - Part 1
Chapter 1: Why is BIM becoming so popular throughout the industry? - Part 2
Chapter 2: How is the BIM adoption rate in your specific region?
Chapter 3: What advice would you give professionals looking to start a BIM program? - Part 1
Chapter 3: What advice would you give professionals looking to start a BIM program? - Part 2