Reader Response (Draft 4)

In the article “3D building models help bring sustainability into construction”, (Jenkins, 2015) discusses the effectiveness of building information modelling (BIM) as well as the challenges faced when implementing it. The introduction of BIM has revolutionized the building construction industry. According to Monswhite (as quoted in Jenkins, 2015) the change of use from two to three-dimensional design with BIM allows the industry to reduce construction cost and optimise space management. While BIM boast of its advantages, Jenkins asserts that BIM is yet to be widely accepted in the building construction industry. This is supported by Charlton, chief of consultancy Space Group, who argues that majority of the key players in the project lack of collaboration and refuse to embrace change, preferring to stick to conventional methods. In addition, Smithson, Coventry’s University sustainability director, states that these key players are unwilling to even give BIM a try. Therefore, Smithson and her team are operating an immersive simulation centre to showcase the benefits of BIM to industry professionals to convince them to implement BIM. However, if BIM is really the key to revolutionizing the build construction industry, there must be deeper concerns halting professionals to implement it in their practice.

One main reason is due to the hefty price of BIM. This is supported by Than, Singapore-listed Lian Beng Group construction director who stated in an article that it is a challenge for everyone to implement BIM in their practice as it is expensive. It is true indeed as according to the Autodesk official website, the software itself costs a few thousand dollars exclusive of  the hardware cost and training fee. 

In Singapore, the government highly encourage the usage of BIM in projects. To show its support, the BIM fund was launched to help defray some of the incurred fees. However, according to the Build Construction Authority (2017), getting subsidized is not as straightforward as there are several requirements to be met before funding can be received. 

Apart from the heavy financial burdens, another concern would be that in order for BIM to be implemented, the work process need to be changed as well. This is because BIM requires the collaborative work of all the various departments. In conventional practice, each department would just have to focus on submitting their own plans. With BIM, the various departments need to interact and develop the collaborative model together. In this case, the role of the project coordinator becomes chiefly critical to ensure that the various departments get the same information to avoid miscommunication and ultimately the smooth progression of the BIM project from department to department. This may yet be another issue if the project coordinator is not BIM-trained. 

In conclusion, although there are many complications that could potentially hold firms back from implementing BIM but the main problem is still due to financial constraint. In addition, smaller firms that are unable to afford this software are facing more pressure with the increasing government contracts requiring BIM’s implementation. Thus, as the government is encouraging BIM’s implementation, they should do a better review and inspection as to why not everyone is using it even with the funding and incentives. 

 References: 

Jenkins. (2015, April 13). 3D building models help bring sustainability into construction. Retrieved from theguardian: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/13/bim-technology-design-business-sustainability-construction 

Rundell, R. (2004, December 14). Implementing BIM, Part 2: Planning for Process and Staffing Changes. Retrieved from Cadalyst: http://www.cadalyst.com/aec/implementing-bim-part-2-planning-process-and-staffing-changes-2898 

   

Wong Siew Ying, N. J. (2017, June 19). The Straits Times. Retrieved from The Straits Time: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/construction-industry-faces-tough-times 

Burger, R. (2014, August 12). How to Integrate BIM into Small Practices. Retrieved from Capterra: https://blog.capterra.com/integrate-bim-small-practices/ 

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