Barriers to BIM Implementation in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Projects—The Polish Study

Abstract

BIM (building information modeling) is a kind of technology that has great potential to enhance the level of automation in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) projects. The created virtual model of the facility allows coordinating all industries during the entire life cycle of the building. The possibility to save the data related to the given facility in one place, namely in the BIM model, enables control and management of the AEC projects at every stage. During the design and implementation phase, BIM models facilitate the optimization of time, costs, and quality, and in the operational phase, they support effective management of the facility. The use of BIM for building energy modeling (BEM) is the next step of evolution in architecture and engineering design practice. The benefits of using the BIM approach are widely discussed in the literature; however, they may be hard to achieve if appropriate attention is not directed to minimizing the barriers to the implementation of this technology. Observing Europe, one can notice that western and northern countries successfully use BIM for their needs, while the countries of the Eastern Bloc, including Poland, introduce it at a slower pace. In the present paper, the authors conducted a cause-and-effect analysis of the identified barriers to the implementation of BIM technology in the construction process. For this purpose, the authors applied the Ishikawa diagram, which is a tool that helps to recognize the actual or potential causes of failure. The analysis conducted showed that one of the weakest links in the successful BIM implementation is people and, in particular, their lack of knowledge and reluctance to change. The authors indicated the need to introduce and strengthen preventive actions, mainly through education: training, courses, and studies focused on BIM technology.

Analysis of the Current State of Automation of Hazard Detection Processes in BIM in Slovakia

“…396/2006 (based on the directive of the Council of Europe No. 92/57/EEC) [72], it is not common in Slovakia probably due to the reasons presented in [6,[71][72][73][74][75][76]. From the analysis in Section 3, Slovak construction companies, which already use BIM, would be interested in a user-friendly and effective solution to HS planning and hazard detection, and even be willing to pay for it.…”

“…If the solution (plug-in or workflow) will use widely popular BIM software, its adoption by the companies could be more successful. In [71], the authors identified and analyzed the reasons for the slower implementation of BIM technology in construction projects in Eastern European countries. The analysis shows that in Poland, which is a neighbor country of Slovakia, it is mainly because of the people, their lack of knowledge and awareness and reluctance to change.…”

“…The analysis shows that in Poland, which is a neighbor country of Slovakia, it is mainly because of the people, their lack of knowledge and awareness and reluctance to change. The second main reason was low prices for construction documentation that does not cover the expensive software, employee training and payment of BIM specialists [71]. The same problems are shared by construction companies in Slovakia and probably in other Eastern European countries such as Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, Southeast European countries and so on, because of their similar history, thinking, politics and economies.…”

Application of TLS Remote Sensing Data in the Analysis of the Load-Carrying Capacity of Structural Steel Elements

“…This becomes highly important in the context of historic buildings, both in terms of assessing their technical condition and preparing object documentation. The possibility of representation of the exact geometry of the object also allows popularizing the building information modeling (BIM) technology and overcoming further barriers in the implementation of the technology [35].…”

Building Information Modeling in Quebec’s Procurement for Public Infrastructure: A Case for Integrated Project Delivery

“…Many studies have pointed out that in order to effectively implement BIM, legal barriers need be overcome, such as liability and risk allocation issues and the status of intellectual property of the model, as well as the inadequacy of procurement practices and contracts (Sacks et al 2018). Moreover, recent studies found that significant legal aspects or contract provisions need to be included in BIM contracts (Chihib et al 2019), and that design-bid-build procurement and a lack of standardization impedes effective adoption of BIM (Fan et al 2018;Leśniak et al 2021). These issues are all addressed in the present paper, notably through the lens of IPD.…”