A Study of the Deployment and Impact of Building Information Modelling Software in the Construction Industry

Building information modelling (BIM) is a technology that is currently gaining momentum within the construction industry. It allows buildings to be modelled virtually and stores information about the building in a central coordinated model. The focus of this research is to study the impacts that the deployment of this technology is having within the construction industry and any issues that maybe encountered when deploying the software. There is little in-depth research on how BIM may affect engineering consultancies within the UK and therefore there is a need to establish the impacts that BIM will have on the industry. The research approach adopted in the report firstly consisted of reviewing the current literature on the subject. This was followed by conducting case studies of two UK consultancies in the form of face to face interviews in order to validate the former research and to provide a comprehensive assessment of deployment issues in practice. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that while BIM has the potential to eradicate many inefficiencies within the construction industry, it is not the complete solution. Regardless of the overall effect that BIM will have on the construction industry, it is clear from the research undertaken that the benefits of BIM are unquestionable and should be exploited to their full potential.