by Brianna Crandall — May 5, 2014—A full 70% of those using building information modeling (BIM) software believe it has given them a competitive advantage, according to the fourth annual National BIM Survey by technical information provider NBS, part of RIBA Enterprises Ltd, the commercial arm of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The report, which looks at how U.K. building design professionals are adapting to the use of BIM, is considered essential reading for those adopting—or considering adopting—BIM.
The study found that awareness of BIM is now almost universal at 95%, and adoption rates are accelerating, with more than half of respondents (54%) now using it, up 15% from last year. Further, 93% of respondents predict adoption by 2016, the U.K. government’s deadline for BIM use on publicly funded projects.
More than 1,000 people from across the construction industry including architects, engineers, surveyors and contractors took part in this year’s survey, making it the largest independent piece of research into usage of and attitudes toward BIM in the United Kingdom, notes NBS.
Improvements in productivity, increased efficiencies, better coordination of construction information, and higher profitability are among the benefits cited by adopters of BIM, with a mere 4% wishing they had not begun the journey.
But while the construction industry feels more confident in its own knowledge of BIM (up from 35% in 2012 to 46% in 2013), there is still much skepticism around the wealth of information now available on the subject, with only 27% of respondents saying they trust what they hear about BIM, according to the report.
In addition, there is a clear need for greater standardization, with only one-quarter saying that the current levels are adequate. Further, there is still a widespread belief that the industry is still not clear about what BIM is, with the figure of 73% barely a reduction on last year.
There is a clear divide between the awareness and adoption of BIM between small practices (defined as those with between one and five staff) and larger firms. In all measures, smaller practices are lagging behind their larger counterparts by around two years, with cost still being seen as a major barrier to adoption, the report reveals.
Given the U.K. government’s mandate on BIM for publicly funded work, there is a risk that smaller organizations may be excluded from significant sources of revenue; however the survey does not suggest there is any great resistance to the government’s BIM strategy, with 58% agreeing that the government “is on the right track with BIM,” according to the report.
The survey also reveals a far more detailed understanding of BIM throughout the industry, with almost three-quarters now being aware of the different levels, up from only half last year.
A slight majority at 51% reported having achieved Level 2 BIM on at least one project during the last 12 months, with usage of IFC—a platform-neutral, open-file format which allows models to be shared among the design team irrespective of software used—and COBie showing marked increases.
It is the latter, which allows the design team to use a building information model to embed and then deliver the information that supports the use and maintenance of a building, which enables perhaps the greatest cost savings for the client, explains NBS.
“What this report clearly shows is an industry in transition from the stage when the early adopters are taking the lead to a position where BIM is becoming the norm,” says Richard Waterhouse, chief executive, RIBA Enterprises. “In the U.K., through BIM, we are at the forefront of a significant change in how buildings are conceived, designed, built and maintained.
“This change has the potential to bring improved efficiencies and profitability to the construction sector, and better buildings to clients, something current users of BIM have reported in this survey. There remain significant challenges and investment of both capital and time are needed. However, there is a wide appreciation of the benefits BIM will bring, and the projections of BIM adoption tell us that the U.K. can be world leaders in this.”
The NBS National BIM Report 2014 is now available on the NBS Web site.
