An Analysis of the Qualitative Impacts of Building Information Modelling (BIM) on Life Cycle Cost (LCC): A Qualitative Case Study of the KSA

Abstract

Building information modelling (BIM) continues gaining popularity in engineering construction as it helps lower the life cycle cost and ensure sustainability. The primary aim of this study was to delve into the effectiveness of BIM implementation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) construction industry and understand the benefits, challenges, and risks associated with it. The present study has incorporated a qualitative and case study research design to investigate the effectiveness of BIM implementation. To this end, information was gathered through interviews involving BIM experts in the KSA, from which a thematic analysis was derived with the help of NVivo software. The results obtained highlight various benefits, challenges, and risks associated with the implementation of BIM tools, also covering the life cycle cost (LCC) and the procurement and type of contracts, initially referred to during the interviews, indicating that the importance of estimating the LCC in a project is crucial in the design phase, which also informs the decision making. In this case, 96.7% of the participants agreed with this view. Moreover, two case studies were analysed to further demonstrate the effectiveness of BIM adoption. The outcomes of this study have the potential to add significant value to various aspects of engineering practice in the KSA.

Circular Economy in the Building Sector: Investigating Awareness, Attitudes, Barriers, and Enablers through a Case Study in Saudi Arabia

“…BIM's design optimization features empower decision makers to analyse various scenarios, aiding in informed choices regarding material selection, resource utilisation, and waste reduction. Additionally, BIM facilitates a comprehensive evaluation of a building's lifecycle costs, including design, construction, operation, maintenance, and end-of-life costs [57]. This provides stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of the circular building costs, enabling a more informed and holistic understanding of the economic aspects associated with circular construction practices.…”

Development of a BIM Platform for the Design of Single-Story Steel Structure Factories

“…BIM, as a continuously evolving advanced digital technology and process, has been triggering a sustained revolutionary impact on the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry [4][5][6]. Unlike the static 2D drawings, BIM models are dynamic, serving as a relational database that stores all information regarding building objects throughout their lifecycle.…”

“…The analysis results were subsequently stored in the database for review, verification, and as part of the project's documentation. 4.…”

Service Life Prediction and Life Cycle Costs of Light Weight Partitions

“…Further extending this discussion, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a powerful tool in this realm, whose ability to model structural and nonstructural components provides a comprehensive life cycle assessment and cost analysis platform. Its capacity to model material properties and incorporate relevant data presents opportunities to employ it in life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis [25][26][27][28][29]. For instance, Santos et al (2020) use it to explore how LCA and LCC integration can be enhanced, proposing an automatic analysis within a BIM environment and demonstrating its utility through a case study conducted in the Netherlands, with the aim of advancing automatic sustainability simulations and predictive analyses in construction [30].…”