UK construction professionals are calling for increased awareness of Building Information Modelling (BIM) methods to help the UK compete on the European and global stage
Over 70% of the construction industry professionals surveyed by BSI believe that BIM will put UK industry on a better footing to compete internationally and will improve the UK construction industry overall. Respondents see improvements in design quality, communication and cost control as the biggest benefits that BIM can deliver.
Despite this, 40% of the respondents feel that BIM will not live up to expectations unless it can be fully implemented across the industry. Nearly three quarters believe that an industry-wide awareness campaign is necessary to overcome the challenges associated with BIM adoption (69%).
This is particularly important, as a lack of understanding and demand across different parts of the value-chain are holding back BIM success. Four in 10 of those surveyed cite lack of client demand and resistance from supply chain partners as factors preventing BIM implementation.
Backed by the government’s 2016 requirement that construction suppliers for public sector projects work at BIM Level 2, the UK has led the way globally on BIM adoption and standards. BSI’s survey confirms that take up in the industry is maturing, as a plurality (41%) of practitioners say that their company is now running multiple BIM projects.
When asked by BSI, industry professionals still cite internal barriers to adoption, including a reluctance to let old methods go (49%) and difficulty finding the right resources to deliver (45%). Yet encouragingly, the number who says that they struggle to convince their board of BIM advantages is much smaller, at just over a fifth of respondents (21%).
More training in Building Information Modelling, as well as additional incentives, are other solutions to which the industry gave its backing. BSI itself is supporting the industry with a range of solutions to address the BIM level 2 requirements, including training, certification and standards.
Andy Butterfield, Product Certification Director of Built Environment at BSI said: “The UK industry has been leading the way in BIM development. We’ve been working for a number of years with professionals and government to create best practice standards, training and certification for BIM. These are based on consensus knowledge to accelerate innovation and to help address the barriers to BIM adoption.
“It is encouraging to see the appetite within the industry for more training and awareness on BIM. Collaboration is the foundation for BIM and the industry must continue to invest in knowledge-sharing and training to unlock global success.”
BSI surveyed 404 construction industry professionals in October 2018.
