ryan forde dfd 6042016

Building Information Modelling and its impact on

Project Management in small scale Irish

Architectural design and Construction companies

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the

Degree of

BSc (Hons) in Architectural Technology By

Ryan Forde

Word Count: 11,950

April 2016

Department of Built Environment and Extended Campus,

IT Carlow

II

Declaration

I declare that all material in this submission e.g. thesis/essay/project/assignment is

entirely my/our own work except where duly acknowledged.

I have cited the sources of all quotations, paraphrases, summaries of information, tables,

diagrams or other material; including software and other electronic media in which

intellectual property rights may reside.

I have provided a complete bibliography of all works and sources used in the preparation

of this submission.

I understand that failure to comply with the Institute’s regulations governing plagiarism

constitutes a serious offence.

Student Name: (Printed) ____________________________________________

Student Number(s): ____________________________________________

Signature(s): ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________

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Acknowledgements I wish to take this opportunity to thank the School of the Built Environment for

accepting me into their program and the faculty for passing their knowledge and life

experiences to me.

I would like to thank all of my lecturers, and to my supervisor Mrs. Sujana Sudhir,

your knowledge and direction was critical for the completion of my Dissertation.

I would also like to thank the professionals who took part in the interview stage of the

study, Mr. Noel Dunne, Mr. Anthony Dempsey, Mr. Gary Mongey,

To Declan and Rachel for being great housemates thank you for all your advice

To my parents, for providing me with the opportunity to complete my Degree, I could

not have done it without your help and support.

Finally to Niamh, you have been my rock during my time in College, all I have done

is in honour of you and your caring support.

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Abstract The purpose of this research was to study the success and challenges faced by

small scale architectural design and construction companies using Building Information Modelling BIM for project management in an Irish context. The aim of the

research was to study the processes and effective integration of tools involved in using BIM for managing project work. The research was also centred on

investigating the strengths and limitations of using BIM tools for collaboration, production, design phase and the pre-construction phase. Recommendations were

outlined in the possible solutions for this specific investigation.

List of Key Words: AEC - Architectural, engineering and construction, BIM - Building information model, CAD - Computer-aided design, MEP - Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing

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Table of Contents Declaration ................................................................................................................. II

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... III

Abstract ..................................................................................................................... IV

List of Figures .......................................................................................................... VIII

Introduction ............................................................................................................ - 1 -

Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................... - 2 -

1.0 Purpose of Study .......................................................................................... - 2 -

1.1 What is BIM? ............................................................................................. - 2 -

1.2 Using BIM for Project Management .......................................................... - 2 -

1.3 Small Scale Companies and Practices ..................................................... - 3 -

1.4 Research Aim ............................................................................................... - 5 -

1.5 Research Objectives ..................................................................................... - 5 -

1.6 Methodology ................................................................................................. - 6 -

1.7 Scope and Limitations of Study .................................................................... - 6 -

Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................... - 7 -

2.0 Literature Review ......................................................................................... - 7 -

2.1 The Implementation of BIM in Small Practices/Companies ....................... - 7 -

2.1.1 Why BIM? ............................................................................................... - 8 -

2.1.1.3 New Opportunities ............................................................................... - 9 -

2.1.1.4 Getting Started with BIM ................................................................... - 10 -

2.2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Principles.......................................... - 11 -

2.3 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Framework and Workflows ............... - 14 -

2.4 BIM and Project Management .................................................................... - 16 -

2.5 Introducing BIM Work Stages to a Project Management Environment ....... - 17 -

2.5.1 Visualisation ......................................................................................... - 17 -

2.5.2 Constructability ..................................................................................... - 18 -

VI

2.5.3 Collaboration ........................................................................................ - 18 -

2.5.4 Clash Detection .................................................................................... - 19 -

2.5.5 Management of Project Delivery and Alignment .................................. - 20 -

2.5.6 Summary .............................................................................................. - 20 -

2.6 A Developed BIM & Project Management Framework for small scale Irish

Architectural Practices ...................................................................................... - 20 -

2.6.1 The need for a combined BIM & Project Management framework, based

on the needs of small scale Irish Architectural Practices .............................. - 20 -

2.6.2 Combining the different frameworks and Codes of Practice ................ - 22 -

2.6.3 Summary of Actions ............................................................................. - 22 -

2.6.4 Investigated Frameworks, Work Stages and Codes of Practice ........... - 22 -

2.6.5 Developed BIM & Project Management Framework ............................ - 23 -

2.7 Conclusion .................................................................................................. - 24 -

Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................. - 25 -

3.0 Methodology ............................................................................................... - 25 -

3.1 Overview ................................................................................................. - 25 -

3.2 Types of Qualitative Methods Used ............................................................ - 25 -

3.2.1 Key Informant Interviewing ................................................................... - 25 -

3.3 Selection of Interviewers ............................................................................. - 26 -

3.4 Developing an Interviewing Process ........................................................... - 26 -

3.4.1 Introduction: ......................................................................................... - 26 -

3.4.2 Key Questions: ..................................................................................... - 26 -

3.4.3 Probing Questions: ............................................................................... - 26 -

3.4.4 Closing Question: ................................................................................. - 27 -

3.4.5 Summary: ............................................................................................. - 27 -

3.5 Qualitative Data Management .................................................................... - 27 -

3.6 Probability and Non-probability Sampling ................................................... - 27 -

3.7 Ethics .......................................................................................................... - 28 -

VII

Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................. - 29 -

4.0 Findings and Discussion ............................................................................. - 29 -

4.1 Qualitative Analysis of Key Informant Interview Data ................................. - 29 -

4.2 Key Informant Interview Data Collection ..................................................... - 30 -

4.2.1 General Questions ............................................................................... - 30 -

4.2.2 Questions specific to Project Management .......................................... - 34 -

4.3 Production .................................................................................................. - 34 -

4.3.1 Summary .............................................................................................. - 34 -

4.4 Collaboration............................................................................................... - 35 -

4.4.1 Summary .............................................................................................. - 36 -

4.5 Design Stage .............................................................................................. - 37 -

4.5.1 Summary .............................................................................................. - 37 -

4.6 Pre – Construction Stage ............................................................................ - 38 -

4.6.1 Summary .............................................................................................. - 39 -

Chapter 5 ............................................................................................................. - 40 -

5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations .......................................................... - 40 -

5.1 Overview ................................................................................................. - 40 -

5.2 Project Summary ..................................................................................... - 40 -

5.2.1 Benefits of this Study ........................................................................... - 40 -

5.2.2 Technical Findings ............................................................................... - 40 -

5.2.3 Technical Difficulties ............................................................................ - 41 -

5.2.4 Improvements ...................................................................................... - 42 -

5.2.5 Limitations of this Study ....................................................................... - 42 -

5.2.6 Suggestions for Future Work ................................................................ - 42 -

5.3 Conclusions & Recommendations .............................................................. - 43 -

5.4 Summary .................................................................................................... - 45 -

Glossary ............................................................................................................... - 45 -

VIII

Bibliography ......................................................................................................... - 46 -

List of Figures

Figure 1: The Traditional Flow of Information - Investing in BIM: A Guide for

Architects (Building Design, 2012) ......................................................................... - 8 -

Figure 2: A Shared Building Model - Investigating in BIM: A Guide for Architects

(Building Design, 2012) .......................................................................................... - 9 -

Figure 3: The main aspects of BIM - The Basic Principles of BIM

(Sebastian, 2010) ................................................................................................. - 12 -

Figure 4: Different ways of Integration through BIM - The Basic Principles of BIM

(Sebastian, 2010) ................................................................................................. - 13 -

Figure 5: The Process for the Implementation of the BIM Framework for small scale

practices at project level - Computing in Civil Engineering

(M. Kassem, 2013) ............................................................................................... - 15 -

Figure 6: Technology Framework - Computing in Civil Engineering

(M. Kassem, 2013) ............................................................................................... - 15 -

Figure 7: Benefits of BIM to Project Management - BIM and the Project Manager

(Noble, 2013) ....................................................................................................... - 17 -

Figure 8: Project Stages - Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction

and Development - (CIOB, 2014) ......................................................................... - 21 -

Figure 9: Project Lifecycle - Code of Practice for Project Management for

Construction and Development (CIOB, 2014) ...................................................... - 23 -

Figure 10: possibilities of the Production stage involved in BIM. -

Source: www.arcdox.com ..................................................................................... - 35 -

Figure 11: BIM – A Collaborative Approach to Working - (Jennifer, 2012) ........... - 37 -

Figure 12: Example of BIM Model - Source www.autodesk.com .......................... - 38 -

Building Information Modelling and its impact on Project Management in small scale Irish Architectural design and Construction companies

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Introduction This dissertation was undertaken as part of a BSc (Hons) Degree in Architectural

Technology. The aim of this research project was to investigate the title “Building

Information Modelling and its impact on Managing Projects in small scale Irish

Architectural design and Construction companies”.

This study contains research literature and also research gathered from

professionals in the field of BIM and Project Management. The research from this

study shall show how small scale practices and companies can use BIM as a tool for

Project Management. The theory and expectation of BIM cannot be met in practice,

qualitative research method has been used as part of this technical study to

investigate the implications of using BIM for Project Management faced by small

scale Irish architectural design and construction companies.


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Chapter 1

1.0 Purpose of Study 1.1 What is BIM?

“The real promise of BIM lies in its application across the entire project team,

especially in the area of efficient project management.” – (Laiserin, 2009).

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a revolutionary technology and process that

has transformed the way buildings are designed, analysed, constructed, and

managed. BIM has become a proven technology in today’s construction age. While

there may be a number of inefficiencies that will continue to be refined, an

interrogation of BIM is still in its early stages, and is producing results for the

Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry all over the world.

“BIM is a digital representation of the building process to facilitate exchange and

interoperability of information in digital format” (Eastman, 1999) Project management

has become a common discussion relating with BIM, according to Interoperability in

the Construction Industry (McGraw Hill Construction, 2007).

Architects, Engineers and Designers demanded higher interoperability among teams

and software packages, better tools and fewer questions in the field of the built

environment. The question is, how? How can building professionals deliver a better

managed project to their clients as buildings become more multifaceted and reliant

on new technologies in an ever changing world?

The simplest answer was BIM (Hardin, 2009)

1.2 Using BIM for Project Management Although the use of BIM is commonly linked with the design team, it is in the field of

project management where it has its most long-term application. Even though the

design team may vary at different stages of an asset's life cycle, the need for

management of that asset whether a building or some other form of construction is

continuous, from inception through to end of life, a true cradle-to-grave process. The

team using BIM for managing their projects therefore need to understand and

interrogate the BIM information, in order to maximise its benefits. (NBS, 2015)


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BIM facilitates the management throughout the entire project life cycle. Some

obstacles still remain to full implementation of BIM, mostly regarding the cost

investment of BIM tools.

Online collaboration using BIM in projects is on the rise, moving away from old-

fashioned time and labour intensive communication methods. BIM is moving from a

document-based environment to an integrated database working environment.

Constant updates of information from a range of consultants is fed into the model,

and needs to be managed; in addition to wider issues such as the project

management of the team, which is required for successful BIM implementation – BIM

is about the management of methods, people and attitudes. (NBS, 2015)

Conventionally the geometric model and scheduling have been two separate

databases. With BIM the two are combined. Project managers in a team work with

automated data, are able to see relationships; and use that to manage project

processes and hence make better decisions based on more reliable information, and

at an earlier stage. Therefore these decisions lead to better outcomes, rather than

managing the consequences of those outcomes. Scheduling and budget control are

improved, and more accurate decisions and outcomes are possible. (NBS, 2015)

1.3 Small Scale Companies and Practices A small scale Architectural company consists of five or less employees. (Enterprise

Ireland, 2007)

The relationship of small scale Architectural and Design Companies, and the

adoption of BIM is about to become mainstream in Ireland. The UK have legislated

for BIM to be a standard requirement in the Architecture, Engineering and

Construction industry for any project estimated to be above 5 million by July 2016.

As a country Ireland traditionally takes the lead from the UK in such developments.

The introduction of the UK 2016 BIM standards has set a new context for the Irish

Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector to increase the use of BIM

in small, medium and large scale companies. (CMG Events, 2015)

With the UK BIM adoption taking full effect from 2016 many experts in the Irish

construction sector believe that an Irish adoption of BIM is not far behind. In the UK

and Ireland the majority of the large scale firms have now adopted BIM. The


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adoption in 2010, was only 13% of all scale size companies, and 43% of the

companies were unaware of BIM.

Even though the majority of small scale companies and practices in Ireland have not

integrated BIM, the small scale companies and practices which have successfully

adopted BIM are seeing the real benefits. Even though BIM seems to be become an

established process for design management, the context of small scale practices in

Ireland, 35% implemented and were using BIM, compared to 61% usage in larger

scale practices. So, why is this the case? It may be that it is difficult for the smaller

scale practices to find the funding to finance the technology and training needed, it

may be that there is less client demand, or it may be that collaboration is less

important on projects of a less complex nature. Surely adopting BIM should actually

be easier for a smaller scale Irish practice. Smaller companies have agility, whereas

larger companies often do not.

“BIM is not the domain of large scale practices. For the small scale practices, BIM

has a number of advantages, posing a way to lead and manage teams that deliver

larger scale projects, or to interact with larger scale companies.” (Hamil, 2014)

For all the above reasons, the purpose of this report is to review the implications of

using BIM for project management in small scale Architectural Design and

Construction companies in an Irish context.


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1.4 Research Aim The aim of this research is to study the implications of using BIM for Project

Management faced by small scale Irish architectural design and construction

companies. The final aim of the research is to identify the areas of integration of

using BIM for Project Management in small scale Architectural Design and

Construction companies in Ireland

1.5 Research Objectives The research aim shall be achieved by fulfilling the following research objectives:

1) To study the processes involved in using BIM for managing project work, in

small scale Irish Architectural design and Construction companies.

2) To study and investigate the effective integration of BIM tools used for

managing project work in small scale Irish Architectural design and

Construction companies.

3) To study the strengths and limitations of using BIM tools for collaboration,

production, design stage and the construction stage for small scale Irish

Architectural design and Construction companies.

4) To study the strengths and limitations of using BIM for daily operations faced

by small scale Irish Architectural design and Construction companies.

5) To recommend possible solutions for the effective integration of BIM tools

when used for collaboration, production, design stage and the construction

stage, in small scale Irish Architectural design and Construction companies.


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1.6 Methodology A Qualitative research method shall be used in this study to investigate using the

BIM and Project Management framework and explore the processes involved in

using BIM for managing project work. Individual interviews with BIM specialists and

Professionals will be carried out to gather data for the research. The interview

process shall be precise and organised with open-ended questions relating to the

topic of, the strengths and limitations of using BIM for project management in small

scale Architectural Design and Construction companies in an Irish context. The

questions shall be categorised in to duplicate the BIM framework such as Pre-BIM,

Modelling, Collaboration, Integration, and Post-BIM.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of Study The scope of this research involves studying the processes of using BIM for Project

Management in small scale Irish Architectural Design and Construction companies in

relation to the collaboration, production, design and construction stages of a project,

The scope of is limited to small scale Irish Architectural Design and Construction

companies and practices. The reason for not researching large scale companies and

practices is due to time constraints for the deadline of this paper, the research

needed for large scale companies and practices would be very broad and complex.

The volume of data would make analysis and interpretation exceedingly time

consuming.

The scope of the research is also limited to the uses of BIM used specifically for

project management, which shall be researched solely in the context of small scale

companies and practices in Ireland

The qualitative research method used for investigating the scope of the study may

cause drawbacks regarding the interviewee’s personal biases and preconceptions

relating to a topic in the interview resulting in leanings of information.


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Chapter 2

2.0 Literature Review Small scale Architectural Design and Construction practices/companies are the

workforce of the AEC industry, quick to learn, adapt, innovate and evolve with

market conditions. The integration and utilisation of BIM used as a tool for Project

Management provides an opportunity to regain ground in design, procurement and

construction processes by managing, coordinating and delivering precise data

across the asset life cycle and cementing their place as the real master designers of

the AEC industry (Enyon, 2014)

This literature review is intended to clarify the integration of BIM used as a tool for

Project Management in small scale Irish Architectural Design and Construction

companies, which probes many different topics of conversation i.e. the

implementation of BIM in small practices/companies, National BIM framework and

principles, National Project Management framework and principles. From a broad

range of literature identified in the context of this topic key pieces have been

selected and reviewed. The published research referenced in this literature review

was in the form of journal papers, handbooks and different expert articles relating to

the topic of small scale Irish practices/companies implementing BIM as a tool for

Project Management.

2.1 The Implementation of BIM in Small Practices/Companies BIM is emerging as an enabler for more efficient, better managed, innovative and

collaborative forms of working in the AEC industry. This proposition is relevant to the

smaller scale practices and companies in the built environment who are more agile.

With the implementation of BIM in smaller practices and companies there may be a

need for an initial investment, the realisation of quicker workflows, better

management and improved coordination of information will unlock a positive return

on their expense. (Philip, 2014)


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2.1.1 Why BIM?

The versatility of small practices makes the opportunity to transform the construction

industry to integrated digital workflows more accessible than ever before.

BIM involves the creation of multiple 3D models of a building using complex, fully

specified, intelligent, self-aware components in a powerful, computerised 3D

environment. These components may be as detailed and accurate as the designer

wants. The components act similar to building components in the real world, doors,

windows, walls, floors, roofs etc. all display properties in the 3D model which

correspond similar to their counterparts in the real world, which gives an extremely

high quality, informative, and inherently accurate result for the designer and client.

(Crotty, 2014)

Trying to keep all stakeholders in the loop on a project has become increasingly

difficult especially in a smaller practice/company as illustrated in the scheme;

Figure 1: The Traditional Flow of Information - Investing in BIM: A Guide for Architects (Building Design, 2012)


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The implementation and utilisation of BIM and BIM standards simplify the overall

project with all stakeholders and parties working from one central intelligent building

model as illustrated in the scheme;

Figure 2: A Shared Building Model - Investigating in BIM: A Guide for Architects (Building Design, 2012)

2.1.1.3 New Opportunities

For the small scale practices/companies new opportunities shall show through

associations with the larger practices/companies who need the investment in

innovation that the smaller practices/companies can make. Trustworthy, computable

tender documents will change this situation. According to (Crotty, 2014) “The small

practitioner who is able to embrace change quickly should find themselves in a

position to compete strongly with much larger practices, because of the staff training

and structuring issues and because of their speed and cost at which they can adopt

new ways of working”


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2.1.1.4 Getting Started with BIM

The National Building Specification (NBS) published an illustrated case study journal

in 2014 entitled “BIM in Small Practices” written by, Robert Klaschka. The journal is a

reference for small scale practices and companies interested in implementing BIM

into their workplace. A chapter in the journal entitled “Getting Started with BIM”

written by Architect David Miller gives his own experience of implementing and

utilising BIM in his small practice, and gives practical steps and guidance to help

small practices understand the adoption of BIM.

When questioned, what was his motivation for adopting BIM? (Miller, 2014) replied;

“increased efficiency and profitability and a better way of working, we were all aware

of the UK Governments plans for the adoption of BIM for all projects valued at

£5million, BIM could offer our small practice speed, accuracy, improved coordination

and quality control. We realised that as a small practice we had it easier when it

came to implementing BIM, because the real barrier isn’t the cost of implementation,

but change management is the real issue, as a smaller practice we were able to spot

the opportunity and make the change quickly”.

When was asked about the adoption process of BIM, he said “the most important

part is making a full commitment and for us that was appointing a BIM manager to

lead the process. Our BIM manager developed a six-day training schedule broken

down into 40-minute modules, she then introduced BIM Boot Camp for new starters,

which involves full immersion in their first week in the office before there are any

project distractions. We implemented a BIM framework and principles that suited our

workplace and the way we work, this guided us to gain the absolute most out of BIM

as the framework kept us on track with the project, I believe that if we had have not

utilised this framework and kept with the principles that the total benefits of

implementing BIM into the practice would not have been seen.

In this small scale architectural practice the cost considerations for the adoption of

BIM into the company were expectantly quite high. £10,000 per workstation, so it

was a big investment for a small practice. This figure includes hardware, software

and training, although the cost for larger scaled practices are the same just scaled

differently. The practice have been spending approximately £30,000 per annum over

four years for total BIM adoption, implementation and utilisation. (Miller, 2014) says;


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“It’s important to note that half of the cost is in the training of BIM. When you view

cost in relation to salaries and fee income it looks far less shocking and it is easy to

see why at our practice we view BIM as an investment in our team and working

methods rather than in technology.”

When questioned what is the benefit of implementing BIM? (Miller, 2014) replies;

“efficient project management throughout the cycle of a project from inception to

completion. Completely adopting BIM along with the framework and its principles has

made the company more efficient, and we are sure it has given us a competitive

advantage. As a bonus we found that our new workflow has simplified project and

design management and allowed us to build our internal processes around BIM.

The practice believe that implementing BIM has allowed them to grow in a difficult

market and to take on bigger and more challenging projects due to better project

management.

2.2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Principles Building Information Modelling is rapidly becoming more important for the

management of complex collaboration and communication processes in the built

environment. BIM contains two main aspects; an intelligent model and an approach

for combined collaboration between the design team, with the main focus on open

sharing and integration. BIM encompasses both a framework and technology

principle. The main aspects of BIM are illustrated in the following scheme.

(Sebastian, 2010)


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Figure 3: The main aspects of BIM - The Basic Principles of BIM (Sebastian, 2010)

An intelligent building model in the BIM framework is a simple representation of a

multidimensional model that includes; 3D visualisation and detailing, material

scheduling, planning, costings and logistic information. During the construction

phase of a project, BIM can support the communication between the building site,

the factory and the design team’s office, which is essential for an effective and

efficient production and assembly process. BIM can be used as an important

management method in a project providing and maintaining up to date information of

the building, even linking the building performance and life-cycle cost. (Sebastian,

2010)

BIM serves as an approach for integrated collaboration throughout the progressions

of a building. BIM is a method of integration between the information and

communications technology (ICT) and the business phase of collaboration. Its main

essence lies in the management, collaboration and communication between the

design team, client and stakeholders of a project. (Sebastian, 2010)

The different ways of integration through BIM are illustrated in the following scheme.


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Figure 4: Different ways of Integration through BIM - The Basic Principles of BIM (Sebastian, 2010)

BIM is not a quick ready-made solution or computer software, BIM has to be tailored

for every project as no two projects are the same. The collaboration framework, the

modelling approach, the structure and level of detail in the model itself will always

have to be coordinated in accordance to the project’s complexity. Once used in a

project, BIM develops as the project progresses, it is intended to be a living model

that can be used during the planning, design, construction, and operation of a

building. (Sebastian, 2010)

In today’s built environment the technical and organisational complexities relating to

sustainable building design has dramatically increased. The projects have to meet a

much higher technical performance, durability, comfort, safety, user-friendliness and

environmental standard. The building aims to function more effectively with a far less

energy consumption. BIM has become one of the most important innovations in the

management of these complex building projects, certain benefits through BIM

implementation in a project can be seen such as;

• Consistent information coming from the centralised building model;

• Efficient, quick design as drawing, analysing, decision making are all done

through coinciding processes involving all AEC disciplines.

• High quality buildings due to the elimination of design errors and anomalies.


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• Effective facility management using the contain data in the building model for

managing, remodelling and maintaining the building over time. (Sebastian,

2010)

BIM can provide a valuable support to both process and project management in a

building. To deal with complexities in larger building projects, the process

management approach was developed to compliment the project management.

The overall objective and focus of project management is to lead a building project

on a structured pathway. Project management focuses on three main aspects,

quality, cost and time, project management aims at providing a building that meets

the quality level within the cost budget and on time. Process management operates

before the project management begins and continues throughout the project,

process management prepares and shapes the path on which project management

leads the project through (Sebastian, 2010)

2.3 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Framework and Workflows A BIM framework is a theoretical structure explaining complex aspects of BIM by

identifying important concepts and their interrelationships. BIM workflows are

structured information i.e. process maps used for operational applications of different

BIM tools. The majority of past frameworks and workflows were created to build an

understanding and adoption at industry level or were created for BIM users in large

scale practices and companies. (M. Kassem, 2013)

The following shall illustrate and explain the implementation and utilisation of a small

scale practice-orientated BIM framework that can be used at project level.

The main emphasis on the adoption of BIM has been on interoperability and

visualisation where consistent and precise information can be linked across the life-

cycle process. The main focus on the implementation of a BIM framework and BIM

workflow is so they can be used in building projects to increase the efficiency of

processes and increase the quality of information to all stakeholders involved in the

project life-cycle. (Succar, 2008) The process for the implementation of a BIM

framework for small scale practices at project level are illustrated in the following

scheme;


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Figure 5: The Process for the Implementation of the BIM Framework for small scale practices at project level - Computing in Civil Engineering (M. Kassem, 2013)

This framework and workflow was put into practice at an international live design

competition titled “Build London Live 2009”, in the competition a number of design

teams of all AEC disciplines competed in a 48 hour project design. The winner was

chosen by a group of industry experts. The above BIM framework was followed and

the project started with a workshop where a technology review (figure 4) was

established and is illustrated in the following scheme;

Figure 6: Technology Framework - Computing in Civil Engineering (M. Kassem, 2013)


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Within the competition time of 48 hours all the BIM deliverables were produced by

the team following the proposed BIM framework and workflow. The judges awarded

the team “Best Multi-disciplinary BIM and use of Interoperability”, this result shows

that the proposed BIM framework and workflow helps in creating a shared vision

about the implementation of BIM; facilitating communication and workflow, also

increasing the overall efficiency of the stakeholders involved in the design process of

the project. (M. Kassem, 2013)

2.4 BIM and Project Management The term Project Management in relation to the built environment, is the overall

planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to completion. Project

Management is aimed at meeting a client's requirement in order to produce a

functionally and financially viable project. (CIOB, 2014) established discipline which

executively manages the full development process, from the client’s idea to funding

coordination and acquirement of planning and statutory controls approval,

sustainability, design delivery, through to the selection and procurement of the

project team, construction, commissioning, handover, review, to facilities

management coordination.

In the UK construction industry, they are currently facing increasing pressure with

regards to Building Information Modelling (BIM) following the announcement in

September 2010 by Paul Morrell, chief construction advisor for the UK government,

that by 2016 all major centrally procured government construction projects valued at

£5 million must use Level 2 BIM. (Rawlinson, 2013) Many of the UK construction

firms are already finding that both public and private sector clients are seeking to use

BIM well in before 2016 due to the amount of benefits that it can bring to a project.

As a result, the pace of BIM adoption in the UK and also Ireland is increasing

throughout the AEC industry. (Malone, 2013)

BIM requires that every project team member and stakeholders can access and work

on a single collaborative project design from a single centralised information pool.

This represents a change to the way projects are undertaken and managed. BIM can

bring multiple benefits to project management, as summarised in the scheme;


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Figure 7: Benefits of BIM to Project Management - BIM and the Project Manager (Noble, 2013)

2.5 Introducing BIM Work Stages to a Project Management Environment The following section investigates the use of different BIM technologies as a

management and collaboration tool of producing projects from the initial inception,

planning, design, to pre-construction phase all these sections are relating back to a

developed BIM/Project Management framework, showing the benefits of

implementing and utilising BIM Project Management. This section also relates to the

use of BIM in the current Irish construction industry, its practices and some of the

barriers which are in the way of increasing Project Management within the industry.

As it is impossible to become an expert in each of the disciplines, it is also

impossible to become an expert in all fields of the BIM process. This is why the

following section is an overview of the process of how BIM can be dissected in

different stages and implemented into a framework supporting BIM and Project

Management in correlation. Notes were gathered on a broad range of articles,

journals and books.

2.5.1 Visualisation

The visualisation aspect of BIM allows the designers and all stakeholders of a project

to see and comment prior to the project starting on-site. Simply, it gave the


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stakeholders an opportunity to add or remove components they approved of or

disapproved of without having incurred the same costs as they would have had

during the construction phase of that project. Perhaps, more importantly the

visualisation aspect of BIM in relation to a Project Management context, it allows on-

site teams view the expected outcome and understand more quickly what the design

team expects to be built. (Stewart, 2009)

2.5.2 Constructability

“The optimum use of construction knowledge and experience in planning, design,

procurement and field operations to achieve overall project objectives” (Construction

Institute, 2015). (Basu, 2007) Understood the preconstruction benefits of using BIM

and 4D scheduling. He noted its help in a complex construction site. In fact, his case

study suggested the “project could not be done without the initial detailed planning

and buy-in using the 4D BIM model”. Virtual construction, facilitates improvements

during the initial development phases of a project. The knowledge the design team

bring together in producing the model help during the “constructability review”, this

includes suggestions and inputs from all team members, and this allows all parties to

prove their validity of assumptions without having to learn from physically

constructing them. Through this constructability can be seen to lead a great return on

investment of a project. (Wissam Hijazi, 2009) says “The idea is to minimise the gap

between what designers draw and what contractors execute on site”.

In its most simplistic form, 4D BIM Models and schedules help people and all the

stakeholders understand how things are put together. They help designers

understand the consequences of many of their choices. This is possibly one of the

most valuable benefits for the implementation of BIM. Using BIM as a tool for the

constructability stage of a project can influence the productivity in the management

of a project.

2.5.3 Collaboration

Project collaboration ensures that there is constant intermingling of information

throughout the various project phases. (Noble, 2013) points out that BIM is not

simply technology but a process that requires the use of available technology and

the collaboration of users, constructors, designers and owners to extract the most

out of the building information model. Visualisation and constructability requires a


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collaborative approach and early stakeholder involvement to be useful. Intel in

Ireland use BIM extensively in the planning of its latest expansion. Full design of

these plants are not fully complete when construction begins therefore they are

dynamic environments that are always in design development. It’s clear to see that

this project could not be successful without this collaborative approach. BIM works

well with the project delivery approach, which requires the use of collaborative

agreements which helps “harness the power of BIM and lean construction methods”

(NBS, 2015)

One of the major issues with the construction industry is its inherent fragmentation.

All disciplines have traditionally worked apart. Architectural firms, Mechanical and

electrical consultants, structural engineers etc. are often in different practices and

when they work in the same practice/company they are often managed as separate

bodies of that practice. BIM has forced the different disciplines to look differently with

regard to collaboration. Designers understand the advantages of reducing their own

time on the project, as they are not being told to redesign at a later stage because

there issues have been discussed and solved through collaboratively, have become

evident through the one shared model. Which in turn turns out to be a valuable tool

for the management of a project as whole collective unit.

2.5.4 Clash Detection

Clash detection is a buzz word associated with BIM. This is because it is possible to

put a value on savings made from eliminating problems found during a clash

detection. Clash detection can be broken into three simple categories; 1) Hard clash.

2) Soft clash. 3) 4D/Workflow clash. A Hard clash is when two objects occupy the

same space, i.e. a pipe cannot go through a wall where there is no opening from the

pipe to pass through. Soft clashes refer to allowable space. Buffer zones between

components, these special allowances may be to provide for ongoing maintenance,

future expansion etc. 4D/Workflow clashes refer to clashes in scheduling work

crews, equipment, materials delivery clashes and other issues relating to time.

(CIOB, 2014) This stage that is associated with BIM influences time savings in the

project and therefore reduces costs, and increases the productivity of the design

team of a project.


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2.5.5 Management of Project Delivery and Alignment

Alignment is the process by which design team or project stakeholders are all

brought together to achieve the same goal. In relation to the built environment and

construction the objective should be to provide a client with the building that satisfies

their requirements at the lowest cost, over the shortest timescale and to the highest

standard and quality. With BIM increasing the management of Project Delivery and

Alignment the whole design team and stakeholders share in both the risks and

rewards. In order for BIM to be used as an alignment tool for project delivery, full and

early project team involvement and collaboration is needed.

2.5.6 Summary

All the above headings are work stages taken from a framework implemented by the

“RIBA BIM overlay Plan of Work 2013” and shall be developed into a new framework

that shall correlate a relationship with the Project Management set of work stages

and a BIM set of work stages, which upon completion will result in a combined set of

work stages for Project Management and BIM under one common framework.

2.6 A Developed BIM & Project Management Framework for small scale Irish Architectural Practices This section of the literature review aims to investigate and develop a set of work

stages and framework suited to a small scale Irish Architectural practice/company.

The proposed framework shall correlate a relationship with the Project Management

set of work stages and a BIM set of work stages, which upon completion will result in

a combined set of work stages for Project Management and BIM under one common

framework, with the intention to be used by small scale Irish Architectural

practice/companies wishing to implement and utilise BIM as a tool for Project

Management in their workplace.

2.6.1 The need for a combined BIM & Project Management framework, based on the needs of small scale Irish Architectural Practices

Currently in Ireland there is lack of a developed or recognised BIM work stage

framework, due to this inconvenience for the sake of the research to be proven as a

trustworthy reference tool, the decision was made to use the work stages framework

developed by the U.K. RIBA (Royal Institutes of British Architects) The RIBA

developed a BIM framework in conjunction with the “RIBA Plan of Work 2013”. (The


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RIBA Plan of Work 2013 organises the process of briefing, designing, constructing,

maintaining, operating and using building projects into a number of key stages).This

relatively new BIM framework is essentially and overlay to the existing “RIBA Outline

Plan of Work” that provides clear guidance about which BIM-related activities are

required at each stage of the RIBA Plan of Work to successfully design and deliver

projects in a BIM environment.

The RIBA Plan of Work guides a project from inception stage of the project brief to

the post completion review of the construction stage.

Due to a lack of time to investigate and develop a BIM/Project Management

framework covering all the different RIBA Plan of Work stages, a decision was made

to focus on the work stages where BIM could be best utilised as a tool for Project

Management in small scale Irish Architectural Design practices/companies. The

stages investigated are inception, feasibility, strategy, and pre-construction, which

are illustrated in the scheme below. This narrowed the research focus areas of the

study and made clear what type of structure the interview process would follow.

Figure 8: Project Stages - Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction and Development - (CIOB,

2014)


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2.6.2 Combining the different frameworks and Codes of Practice

The Irish RIAI (Royal Institute of Architects Ireland) developed their own set of work

stages to be followed, though not as sophisticated as the UK stages, they shall be

used in conjunction with the adopted RIBA BIM work stages and framework.

Moving away from the BIM element of the study, a current Project Management

framework was investigated highlighting a code of practice for Project Management,

published by CIOB (Chartered Institute of Builders). For research purposes this

specific code of practice was best suited for the study as it is newly published, and

already takes into account the influence of BIM and gives a direct correspondence of

BIM alongside each of the Project Management work stages. This code of practice

was used as a framework for the Project Management aspect of the study, providing

the different work stages involved in Project Management, and therefore this

framework was then used in conjunction with the newly developed BIM/Project

Management framework used for the purpose of this study.

2.6.3 Summary of Actions

To simply summarise the above decisions and actions;

BIM framework and work stages – “RIBA BIM overlay Plan of Work 2013”

Project Management work stages – “RIAI Work stages 2011”

Project Management code of practice – “CIOB Project Management Code of

Practice”.

Aspects shall be taken from each of the above references and developed into a set

of work stages and framework suited to a small scale Irish Architectural

practice/company.

2.6.4 Investigated Frameworks, Work Stages and Codes of Practice

The scheme below illustrates the CIOB project lifecycle which correlates the “RIBA

BIM overlay Plan of Work 2013” with the “RIBA Plan of Work” and “CIOB Project

Management Code of Practice”. This framework as explained before this study will

only be focusing on inception to pre-construction, as highlighted in red in the scheme


- 23 -

Figure 9: Project Lifecycle - Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction and Development (CIOB,

2014)

This lifecycle was used as a clear reference point in this study, but for the purpose of

the study, the context needed to be altered to introduce an Irish Framework

produced by the RIAI.

2.6.5 Developed BIM & Project Management Framework

The scheme below shows the correlation between the above lifecycle and the RIAI

work stages, which as an overall result shall produce a relationship with the Project

Management set of work stages and a BIM set of work stages, which upon

completion will result in a combined set of work stages for Project Management and

BIM under one common framework, with the intention to be used by small scale Irish

Architectural practice/companies wishing to implement and utilise BIM as a tool for

Project Management in their workplace.


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2.7 Conclusion There is very little research from a project management perspective, in small scale

architectural practices and companies on how project management is treated in a

BIM environment. One could argue that the output is still the same as well as the

core job role and that the implementation of BIM is no more onerous for project

management as for the practice’s design team to adapt to working under a different

contract, or perhaps working in a different country, but this is far from certain.

Therefore this study aims to investigate and review the implications of using BIM for

project management in small scale Architectural Design and Construction companies

in an Irish context. Based on a structured interview with professionals who have had

BIM project experience, this study will present a snap shot of the current situation of

BIM implementation in relation to Project Management. Conclusions and

recommendations on how Project Management adapts to BIM shall be made through

critical analysis and discussion.


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Chapter 3

3.0 Methodology 3.1 Overview Throughout this study one method of data collection was used. Qualitative research,

required a flexible and iterative approach. During the research and data gathering of

this study, the choice and design of methods were constantly modified, based on

ongoing analysis, which allowed the investigations of important new issues and

questions as they arose, and allowed the researcher to drop any irrelevant or

unproductive areas of research from the original research plan. This type of

research used a sampling method, which involves a selection of informants selected

based on an important characteristic of the study. It was essential to identify the

important subgroups or categories of people to be interviewed. These were (1)

Production (2) Collaboration (3) Design Stage (4) Pre Construction Stage, which

were all imperative parts of the Project Management framework and Work Stages

set in place by the RIBA, which in turn shall be used as a structuring system for the

exploratory research stage of the data collection. Within these areas of investigation,

a selection of professionals proficient with BIM and Project Management were

carefully chosen for the study, all with architectural and construction backgrounds.

3.2 Types of Qualitative Methods Used Data gathering methods included key informant interviews, and systematic data

collection techniques. The research used a variety of different methods to achieve

triangulation which is confirmation of the same information by different methods or

sources to increase the validity of the results. A short description of each of the main

methods used is listed below;

3.2.1 Key Informant Interviewing

Key informant interviewing is the process of dialogue between the informant and the

interviewer. Questions are systematically structured, and the interviewer makes an

effort to build rapport with the informant. The interviewer explores relevant topics as

the informant brings them up during the interview


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3.3 Selection of Interviewers Interviewers were selected from college relationships with fellow peers and

professionals who were all proficient in the field of BIM and/or Project Management.

For the interview process to be successful, the interviewer must learn how to build

rapport; and how to keep the informant talking on the topic of interest without

imposing his own biased beliefs or opinions. This requires an appreciation of how

much the interviewer’s belief system affects their conversation.

3.4 Developing an Interviewing Process The interview process used for in this study, was an outlined script with a list of

structured and themed questions relevant to each topic, in relation to BIM and

Project Management. Beginning with the most factual and simplistic questions,

followed by the informants experiences, opinions and beliefs, and finally ending with

general recommendations. The following is a list of components of the interviewing

process;

3.4.1 Introduction: Before the interview process began the interviewer and informant

became acquainted with one another. The purpose and credibility of the interview

was established, the importance of the informant’s own information was duly noted

and appreciated, and it was explained to the informant how the collected information

was going to be used and how the Irish construction industry and built environment

would benefit from this research study.

3.4.2 Key Questions: The questions were structured around important subgroups or

categories; such as (1) Production (2) Collaboration (3) Design Stage (4) Pre

Construction Stage, which were all imperative parts of the Project Management

framework and work stages set in place by the RIBA. The questions were asked in

relation to BIM, and how the implementation and utilisation of BIM could be used as

a tool for each of these work stages. The questions were delivered in a way that

drew upon the informant’s expertise and unique viewpoint

3.4.3 Probing Questions: Probing questions were strategically placed at the more

important stages of the interview, which encouraged the informant to reflect more

deeply on the meaning of their comments or answers. This was a useful tool as it

influenced the informant to think carefully about the root of the probing question


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3.4.4 Closing Question: The closing question proved to be very successful in

providing an opportunity for the informant to add any additional information or

comments when recommending solutions or guidance in addressing the topic at

hand

3.4.5 Summary: The interview was summarised by listing the major comments

collected and the informant was given the chance to elaborate on anything that they

feel was left too vague in the interview.

3.5 Qualitative Data Management Data management and analysis was used to preserve as much of the interview

process as possible, and to permit ongoing analysis; during each of the interviews

the research was collected in abbreviated notes in a hardbound notebook. These

were the “raw” field notes gathered from the informant’s interviews, topical answers,

direct observations and opinions, case narratives etc. The same day of each

interview, the “raw” field notes were re-written into full sentences which are called the

“expanded” field notes. The “expanded” field notes were coded in the field by hand.

Coding was done in the page margins of the “expanded” field notes.

The research began with an initial preliminary coding system that was adapted and

refined during the study. Text mnemonic codes were given their own colour for quick

finding of relevant text during analysis. Each interview feedback and analysis was

categorised and developed into folders with the following identifying information; date

of the interview, informant’s own name and name of workplace, type of qualitative

method used, which codes appear in the margins of the field notes, the number of

times each code appears and the pages on which each code appears.

3.6 Probability and Non-probability Sampling

“The difference between Probability and Non-probability sampling is

probability is research carried out at random with no selection being specific.

Non-probability is the selection being quite specific and a rationale behind

the reason for selection.” (Trochim, 2001) In this plan of research all

methods will be non-probability. The rationale behind this is the need for

professionals who are proficient in the areas of BIM and/or Project


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Management. The informants can provide experiences, opinions and

observations they have made to aid the research of this study.

3.7 Ethics Ethics is about considering morally what the right thing to do is. Ethics was examined

in order to maintain that all the informants involved in the interview process felt

comfortable providing information. No information obtained from the interview

process was disclosed. The material used was purely for the research purposes of

this study. Informants were well-versed that any information that was collected was

readable upon request at any time.


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Chapter 4

4.0 Findings and Discussion In this chapter the results of the research analysis are presented. The research was

collected and then processed in response to the objectives posed in chapter 1 of this

dissertation. Objectives 1 & 2 were aforementioned in the Literature Review with the

remaining research objectives 3, 4 & 5 used to process the findings taken from the

qualitative research from the interviewing process stage. The three research

objectives used are; 1) To study the strengths and limitations of using BIM tools for

collaboration, production, design stage and pre-construction stage of a project. 2) To

study the strengths and limitations of using BIM for daily operations faced by small

scale Irish Architectural design and construction companies. 3) To recommend

possible solutions for effective integration of BIM tools when used for collaboration,

production, design stage and pre-construction stage of a project. A further method of

categorising the qualitative research from the interview stage was to group the

questions into the aforementioned stages of project management, Production,

Collaboration, Design Stage and Pre-Construction Stage, this method aims the

questions directly for the purpose of each of these stages, which inevitably shows in

a more detailed finding how BIM can impact each of these four Project Management

stages.

These objectives were accomplished and are shown in the Technical Findings

presented in the Conclusions and Recommendations chapter.

4.1 Qualitative Analysis of Key Informant Interview Data In order to preserve as much of the interview process as possible, and to permit

ongoing analysis; during each of the interviews the research was collected in

abbreviated notes in a hardbound notebook. These were the “raw” field notes

gathered from the informant’s interviews, topical answers, direct observations and

opinions, case narratives etc. The same day of each interview, the “raw” field notes

were re-written into full sentences which are called the “expanded” field notes. The

“expanded” field notes were coded in the field by hand. Coding was done in the page

margins of the “expanded” field notes.


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The research began with an initial preliminary coding system that was adapted and

refined during the study. Text mnemonic codes were given their own colour for quick

finding of relevant text during analysis. Each interview feedback and analysis was

categorised and developed into folders with the following identifying information; date

of the interview, informant’s own name and name of workplace, type of qualitative

method used, which codes appear in the margins of the field notes, the number of

times each code appears and the pages on which each code appears.

4.2 Key Informant Interview Data Collection

4.2.1 General Questions

Q1) Explain your background in Project Management and/or BIM?

Interviewee 1 (P1)

Limited BIM knowledge,

Teaches Project Management at college honours degree level

Involved in the writing of a master’s degree programme in Project

Management

Previous work involved being project manager on small to medium scale

construction site projects

Interviewee 2 (P2)

Implemented and utilised the process of BIM 10 years before it became well

known.

Introduced and teaches BIM at college honours degree level.

Uses BIM extensively on all AEC projects.

Interviewee 3 (P3)

Little to no BIM knowledge

Extensive Project Management background in small scale residential and

commercial projects.

Interviewee 4 (P4)

Implemented and utilised BIM in 2007

Uses BIM extensively on all AEC projects

Uses BIM as a management tool for all project work


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Q2) Have you ever been involved in using BIM in a project?

(P1) – No, BIM was not known, Projects were CAD based.

(P2) – Yes, every project involves the usage of BIM

(P3) – No, Unfortunately all projects were CAD based.

(P4) – Yes, different BIM tools are used on all project work

Q3) How long have you been utilising BIM for project work?

(P2) Over 10 years, since the initial concept of BIM started to emerge.

(P4) Implemented and utilised BIM in 2007 to date

Q4) what caused you to/to not implement and use BIM?

(P1) – Has not implemented BIM, due to the little knowledge on the process of

BIM but aware of the financial investment to start using BIM. Content with

using the traditional methods i.e. CAD.

(P3) - Has not implemented BIM, based off being not informed enough on

BIM, unaware of its uses.

(P2) – Has implemented and utilised BIM. Could foresee the possibilities and

potential of BIM through its earlier adaptions, and anticipated how the AEC

sector could benefit from utilising BIM.

(P4) – Initially was using CAD and Sketch up as a modelling tool, The practice

were told by an auditor that there IT department needed an upgrade and

showed the practice different BIM tools. The practice then invested in BIM as

they felt it was the future in Architecture and Construction

Q5) Do/Did you find the initial cost and training of implementing BIM an issue?

(P1) – Yes it would be an issue for small scale companies. Unaware of

definite cost figure but aware that it is quite high especially for a small scale

company that would find the investment quite high.

(P2) – Yes the initial cost is high, especially for small scale companies. The

investment would be approximately €10,000 per workstation, for hardware,

software and the training, half the cost is in the training of staff. It would take


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the staff 6 months – 1 year in training to be efficient in BIM for usage on

projects.

(P4) – Yes the overall investment is expensive but worth the cost in the long

run. Believes the payback of investing in BIM is less than two years. Invested

€20,000 in implementing and staff training of BIM

Q6) How long did it take you to feel fully confident in your efficiency in using BIM on

a regular basis?

(P2) – To be able to use different tools of BIM i.e. Revit, Green build Studio,

Eco Tech, Navis Works etc. it would take 1-1.5 years to be fully confident in

your BIM abilities and capabilities.

(P4) – The learning of BIM is constant and ever evolving. It is upto the user to

keep upskilling to stay on top of the ever changing BIM technologies

available. To complete a project from start to finish using different BIM tools

would take approximately 2 years in training to feel fully comfortable.

The UK Government have legislated that any centrally procured public sector

projects will require the implementation of BIM at Level 2 to be a standard

requirement in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry by 4th April

2016. As a country Ireland traditionally takes the lead from the UK in such

developments. The introduction of the UK 2016 BIM standards has set a new context

for the Irish Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector to increase the

use of BIM in small, medium and large scale companies.


construction sector believe that an Irish adoption of BIM is not far behind.

Q7) Were you aware of the statement above, and what is your opinion on the

matter?

(P1) – Yes, very aware that BIM was to become a standard requirement in the

UK. Believes Ireland will also make BIM a standard requirement in less than 5

years. BIM has to filter across every AEC sector for total BIM adoption to take


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place. Everyone has to implement and use BIM for it to work across the

board.

(P2) – Yes, aware and approves of the UK BIM adoption, believes Irish

adoption is not far away. Companies are accepting the change and adopting

BIM to stay in competition with their competitors, believes that any company

that does not adopt and utilise BIM in the next two years will be at a major

disadvantage.

(P3) – Aware of the legislation but believes that Ireland will not adopt BIM in

the manner of the UK adoption. Insists that BIM will not be a requirement in

Ireland as Ireland will remain with the contemporary way of producing 2D

drawings due the risk of breaking tradition.

(P4) – Yes, aware and agree of the legislation. Believes that Ireland will follow

in the footsteps of the UK soon. Believes BIM should be mandatory, to design

and think in 3D should be compulsory.

The term Project Management in relation to the built environment, is the overall

planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to completion. Project

Management is aimed at meeting a client's requirement in order to produce a

functionally and financially viable project.

Q8) How do you feel BIM can be used as a tool for Project Management in relation

to the statement above?

(P1) – BIM can be used as a useful tool for Project Management in its

production of detailed information to site. Collaboration across the

stakeholders in a large scale company is easier with BIM and minimises the

errors in communication across different disciplines.

(P2) - One of BIM’s biggest advantages in terms of production and design is

the 3D visualisation of the building model. Relating this to the client’s

requirements in showing how the building will be constructed is a big

advantage in managing time on a project.


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(P4) – BIM in relation to Project Management is a great communication tool

between all the stakeholders of the project especially the client who may have

difficulty reading a traditional 2D drawing, BIM enables the client to see the

project in 3D visualisation.

4.2.2 Questions specific to Project Management

Q9) Major areas of Project Management are the Production of the project,

Collaboration between stakeholders, the Design stage and the Pre-Construction

stage, of a typical project taken on by a small Architectural Design company. How do

you feel that BIM can play a role in these areas of Project Management?

4.3 Production (P1) - Time and Cost savings such as the removal of any unnecessary construction

materials, and BIM saves time in providing very accurate quantities list of materials

and work costings, and also saves time on site with better finished drawings and

technical detailing.

(P2) – Producing a 3D Visualisation of the building model is vital for understanding

how the building will be constructed. BIM saves time on nearly every aspect of a

project from labour hours to unnecessary stakeholder meetings.

(P4) – BIM produces different design options that can be tested to suit a particular

type of project, and effectively communicate this to clients, therefore the clients have

a better understanding earlier in the project through the production of the BIM model.

4.3.1 Summary

The ability for a design team to be able to produce a 3D visualisation of the project

there working in provides invaluable time and cost savings aswell as representation

of the building model for the client to interpret and understand. Relating to Project

Management of Time and cost, significant savings can be made in cost, as follows. A

BIM model correlates the design team and contractors detailing so that all

stakeholders agree with clashes identified upfront, which will reduce rework,

conflicts, waste and delays. 3D Visualisations of the model help clients to explore

spatial requirements. BIM implementation and execution plans ensures

documentation is coordinated and on time to ensure projects progress as planned.


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It’s very clear to see that the visualisation aspect of BIM allows all stakeholders of a

project see and comment on the model project prior to starting construction. It gives

the stakeholders an opportunity to add or remove components they like or dislike

without incurring the same costs as they would have had during construction stage

and without the same delay consequences.

Figure 10: possibilities of the Production stage involved in BIM. - Source: www.arcdox.com

4.4 Collaboration (P1) – BIM helps to coordinate and collaborate the building model between all the

relevant stakeholders of a project, and makes life easier for everyone involved in the

design. It will help the industry and its clients move from inefficient, paper-based

information within project teams towards the seamless flow of structured data

between collaborators

(P2) - Collaboration in terms of Project Management can be delivered in the cloud,

such as Autodesk’s BIM 360. There are tools for different disciplines to share their

complex project models and to coordinate integration with their peers.


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(P4) – Collaboration of a BIM model ensures that there is a constant intermingling of

information through process, but it requires for every stakeholder of the project to be

utilising BIM.

4.4.1 Summary

Collaboration in terms of Project Management is a term used to plan, coordinate,

control, and monitor distributed and complex projects. It enables project teams to

collaborate across departments, corporate, and national boundaries and to master

growing project complexity.

One of the major issues with the construction industry is its inherent fragmentation.

All disciplines have traditionally worked apart. Architectural firms, Mechanical and

electrical consultants, structural engineers etc. are often in different practices and

when they work in the same practice/company they are often managed as separate

bodies of that practice. BIM has forced the different disciplines to look differently with

regard to collaboration. Designers understand the advantages of reducing their own

time on the project, as they are not being told to redesign at a later stage because

there issues have been discussed and solved through collaboratively, have become

evident through the one shared model. Which in turn turns out to be a valuable tool

for the management of a project as whole collective unit.

Therefore, the benefits of collaborative working with BIM are endless. Every design

team member is involved in the complete project life cycle from beginning till the end.

This creates one vision among the stakeholders, which encourages them to

collaborate and co-ordinate better. All this achieving better project management for

the overall project.


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Figure 11: BIM – A Collaborative Approach to Working - (Jennifer, 2012)

4.5 Design Stage (P1) – BIM offers a fully coordinated and detailed model design. BIM has

dramatically increased accuracy and confidence in project documents such as the

drawings and models.

(P2) – In the design different BIM tools can identify design issues “clashes” in the

model before construction starts which in turn reduces the construction delays, the

design team using BIM is capable of addressing issues quickly in the the building

model.

(P4) – In the design stage of BIM the model is producing better more informative

detailed documents for the stakeholders and the client for a better understanding of

the project.

4.5.1 Summary

BIM streamlines the method of design and delivery reducing waste found in

traditional design approaches. The visibility of a project is increased through an

integrated BIM process which allows stakeholders to see things earlier in the project.

3D nature in a BIM environment enables the design team confidence to become


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more confident around their project design proposals, where the design can be

shown with better detail and clarity to the stakeholders. Isolation of disciplines is

disappeared, with BIM each discipline of the design team is brought together,

enabling them to visualise and review things with increased speed and better

alignment. The efficiency of a small scale practice/company that implements BIM

can have the same number of staff doing more projects with better results. This in

turn counteracts the return on investment of implementing BIM into the

practice/company.

Below is an image of a commercial building designed using different BIM tools to

create one building model during the design process.

Figure 12: Example of BIM Model - Source www.autodesk.com

4.6 Pre – Construction Stage (P2) - BIM models can be issued as tender documents to ensure that contractors

fully understand the extent and complexity of the project. BIM provides peace of

mind to all stakeholders on the project in relation to the accurate estimates of costs

in the energy that the building will produce yearly and the cost of the construction

materials.

http://www.autodesk.com/


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(P4) – The object scheduling functions are very useful in tracking design changes.

All fixtures and fittings are scheduled automatically from the BIM model. Before the

construction process begins the model allows greater efficiency in providing clarity of

information to the contractor

4.6.1 Summary

In any construction project, before ground is ever broken on a construction site, what

happens in the pre-construction phase of a project can affect up to 70 percent of the

cost drivers. This shows that it is vital that practices and companies focus on

accurately estimating for the project in order to maintain budgets. BIM tools

integrated with estimating software provide builders with accurate construction cost

estimates in real time, allowing the design team to make decisions early. BIM can

also accurately simulate a structure’s annual energy usage based on its design and

location. This can be used to analysis whether it makes sense to use different

building materials, change the orientation in order to reduce energy consumption and

total operating costs of the structure.

The key informants of the interview agreed that BIM lowers the initial development

costs, in the design and pre-construction process. Pre-construction and the

implementation BIM is critical to provide the client with peace of mind during the

construction process, and helps that the project will proceed smoothly and meet its

deadlines and budget.

In terms of Project Management in the Pre-Construction phase of a project BIM

Resolves issues in reduced errors, lower costs, and better planning and better

overall project management.


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Chapter 5

5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Overview This final chapter of this dissertation summarises the conclusions, technical and

general findings, and also recommendations of the study. The qualitative research

method of key informant interviews are reviewed. Possible improvements of the

study are clarified and the limitations of the study are reported. Suggestions for

future investigation and overall conclusion of the study are also identified in this

chapter.

5.2 Project Summary

5.2.1 Benefits of this Study

This study describes how Building Information Modelling impacts Project

Management in small scale Irish Architectural design and Construction

companies/practices. The research shows how BIM and Project Management can

correlate under one common framework, and also, how BIM can impact the

Production, Collaboration, design stage, and pre-construction stages of Project

Management in small scale practices/companies. Recommendations are based on

small scale Irish practices/companies wishing to implement and utilise BIM as a tool

for Project Management.

5.2.2 Technical Findings

The qualitative research based upon expert opinions and experience gathered from

the key informant interviews leads to the conclusion that BIM will become

mainstream in Ireland in the near future. With the UK BIM Level 2 mandate and its

effort to implement BIM on all centrally funded public projects by April 2016, the UK

is becoming the leaders of BIM adoption, with many experts believing Ireland is next

to adopt the process. The findings of this study show how the benefits of BIM to be

used as a tool for Project Management, especially in the key areas of the work

stages, such as production, collaboration, the design stage and pre-construction

stage. One objective of this study was to show how BIM can impact these four

stages. The research was gathered from the key informant interviews and


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summarised under each independent work stage. The research findings show that

the production and the collaboration stage was considered as the two most

beneficial stages where BIM could most effectively impact. When the production and

collaboration stages are combined in correlation to each other working with a BIM

process results in the ability for a design team to be able to produce a 3D

visualisation of the project there working in provides invaluable time and cost savings

aswell as representation of the building model for the client to interpret and

understand. Relating to Project Management of Time and cost, significant savings

can be made in cost, as follows. A BIM model correlates the design team and

contractors detailing so that all stakeholders agree with clashes identified upfront,

which will reduce rework, conflicts, waste and delays. Every design team member is

involved in the complete project life cycle from beginning till the end. This creates

one vision among the stakeholders, which encourages them to collaborate and co-

ordinate better. All this achieving better project management for the overall project.

These two work stages alone working under BIM results in the same number of staff

doing more projects with better results. This in turn counteracts the return on

investment of implementing BIM into a small scale practice/company.

5.2.3 Technical Difficulties

Referring to the complexity of this study, there is a macro amount of in-depth

information relating to the UK and elsewhere, although there is an absence in an

Irish context. The main technical difficulty encountered in the study was the rapid

learning curve of BIM and Project Management. There was vast amount of

information on the two different subjects but very little in relation to an Irish context

especially in the area of BIM. The lack of current BIM practitioners and knowledge of

BIM in the Irish construction industry has pointed toward the need for significant

further research to take place, especially in the area of BIM Project Management.

The research findings of this study revealed various issues that with future research

in relation to BIM adoption in Ireland may be worthwhile. The first issue that could be

studied is the extent to which the results of this study can be generalised to the many

other stages of Project Management. This study primarily focused on the first, four

stages of Project Management where it was felt BIM would have the biggest impact.


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5.2.4 Improvements

There is always room for improvement in a study such as this. One area that could

be improved is the recommendations to small scale Irish practices/companies that

wish to implement BIM for Project Management into their workplace. It is clear to see

with the UK’s BIM adoption that BIM will eventually have to be adopted in Ireland. It

is suggested to research more and focus on correct recommendations and guidance

of how small scale Irish practices/companies who wish to implement BIM for

managing projects in the projects, whole life cycle from inception to completion.

5.2.5 Limitations of this Study

With a study such as this, the main topic is revolved around BIM which is a relatively

new process that has been implemented into the AEC industry especially in an Irish

context. There are some limitations of this study that must be noted. The research

was limited to a small number of key informants in the interview stage of the study

due to the absence of utilisation and implementation of BIM in architectural

practices/companies in Ireland. Much of the gathered information for the Literature

Review of the study was information based on a UK and British perspective due to

the lack of knowledge and information of BIM in Ireland. As BIM is only in its infancy

in Ireland the evidence based research is not fully possible yet which limits the

research from an Irish perspective.

5.2.6 Suggestions for Future Work

With the UK BIM Level 2 mandate and its effort to use BIM on all centrally funded

public projects by April 2016, Architectural practices and companies in the UK are

now implementing and utilising BIM to keep ahead of their competitors, it’s only a

matter of time before Ireland start to enforce the same measures as the UK. With

more practices and companies that start to implement BIM in Ireland the awareness,

knowledge, and expertise of BIM will become apparent which suggests a possibility

for this type of study to be approached in a more confident manner with a greater

amount of information that will be at hand from an Irish context the level of

information will be more detailed and specific from an Irish BIM perspective.


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5.3 Conclusions & Recommendations This research paper has shown the relative absence of any BIM process that may be

used as a tool for Project Management in an Irish context. The lack of BIM

practitioners and knowledge of BIM in the Irish construction industry has pointed

toward the need for further research, although the Literature Review of this study

shows how successful BIM implementation can be, showing how BIM is

revolutionising architecture and construction in the UK and other countries. The

study delves into greater detail, and focuses on the Project Management work

stages and identifies four stages where BIM can have the upmost impact of a small

practice/company, production, collaboration, design stage and the pre-construction

stage. From this, summaries and conclusions were made upon each stage,

investigating the strengths and limitations of the four stages when utilised with BIM

From the information gathered from the key informant interview stage of the study it

is clear to see that BIM combined with Project Management running in correlation

has potential benefits to all stakeholders involved in the project. However this must

be driven by all the stakeholders of the project and there must be a buy in of BIM

process from all the stakeholders involved in the project at hand.

The implementation of BIM in small scale practices in Ireland has considerable

challenges. Primarily the initial investment required following the worst recession the

building industry in Ireland has ever experienced certainly take an initial financial

investment which will cover software, hardware and staff training. It’s important to

note that half the cost is in the training of staff, if you view the cost in relation to

wages, salaries, and fee income the cost is far less alarming and then BIM can be

seen as an investment in working methods certainly in terms of Project

Management.

The results from the study show that small Irish architectural practices and

companies that have implemented and utilised BIM are positive even with the low

maturity and integration level, the use of BIM is profitable according to the key

informants that were interviewed. The often mentioned obstacles are the same

reasons for implementing BIM: time and cost. The investment is an issue for small

practices, the key informants from the interviews agree with the issues, but are very

clear that implementing BIM is worth the investment.


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The clients of small architectural practices and companies differs from size and type

of client. After experiencing the benefits of BIM, clients are positive and willing to

utilising BIM in projects. Clients are aware of the shift in design methods, the time

consuming early phases and the overall reduction of time used.

Issues that occurred when implementing BIM were the costs and software. The large

investment costs are a drawback, but the key informants immediately compensated

the drawbacks with the above mentioned benefits.

One of the most important steps in the implementation of BIM is when to start using

BIM. The organisational structure of the practice/company is important. Encouraging

all employees in the practice/company in the early stages of implementation and

involving them in the process is very important. Another important part of

implementation is the training. The key informants recommend basic BIM courses,

followed by training in real projects, instead of mock projects.

According to the research gathered from the key informant interviews, developing a

solid BIM action plan should be the first step toward getting a small

practice/company up and running in a BIM environment. The plan should consist of

two sections: analysis and implementation. The analysis section of the proposed

plan should be focused on information gathering of a business strategy for the

practice/company, based upon the financial investments for the cost of the hardware,

software, training etc. To successfully implement BIM within a company starts with

the shared vision of change and buy-in from all members of the practice/company.

Senior members of the practice/company needs to show support to the

implementation and be willing to sacrifice a little in the beginning to reap the future

rewards.


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5.4 Summary This chapter of dissertation summarises the benefits of the project, including the

expert opinions and experiences of professionals in the field of BIM and Project

Management. The technical difficulties encountered during the development of the

study were identified, aswell as the problems that were met while writing this study.

Possible improvements for the study were shown. There is a lot of scope and many

possible themes for future work based off this research. The chapter concluded that

the project succeeded in developing a greater understanding of BIM, Project

Management and the Correlation of the two, and recommended possible solutions

for small scale practices and companies in Ireland wishing to implement BIM as a

tool for Project Management

Glossary AEC - Architectural, engineering and construction

BIM - Building information model

CAD - Computer-aided design

MEP - Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing

Design Team - The architects, engineers, technical specialists responsible for the

conceptual design aspects of a building or structure and there development into

models, drawings and specifications required for construction.

Interoperability - The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange

information and to the use that information together.

Project Management - The process of managing multiple ongoing inter-dependent

projects. An example would be that of designing, manufacturing and providing

support infrastructure for an automobile manufacturer.

3D Modelling - The representation of objects with full geometric description, instead of the traditional plan/section/elevation of paper drawings.


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Appendix

Qualitative Research – Key Informant Interview Questions 1. Explain your background in Project Management and/or Bim?

2. Have you ever been involved in using BIM in a project?

3. How long have you been utilising BIM for project work?

4. What caused you to implement and use BIM?

5. Did you find the initial cost and training of BIM an issue?

6. How long did it take you to feel fully confident in your efficiency in using BIM on a regular basis?

The UK Government have legislated that any centrally procured public sector

projects will require the implementation of BIM at Level 2 to be a standard

requirement in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry by 4th

April 2016. As a country Ireland traditionally takes the lead from the UK in such

developments. The introduction of the UK 2016 BIM standards has set a new

context for the Irish Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector to

increase the use of BIM in small, medium and large scale companies.


construction sector believe that an Irish adoption of BIM is not far behind.

7. Were you aware of the statement above, and what is your opinion on the matter?

The term Project Management in relation to the built environment, is the overall

planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to completion.

Project Management is aimed at meeting a client's requirement in order to

produce a functionally and financially viable project.


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8. How do you feel BIM can be used as a tool for Project Management in relation to the statement above?

The table below is a developed set of work stages and framework created by the

researcher, suited to a small scale Irish Architectural practice/company. The

proposed framework shall correlate a relationship with the Project Management set

of work stages and a BIM set of work stages, which upon completion will result in a

combined set of work stages for Project Management and BIM under one common

framework, with the intention to be used by small scale Irish Architectural

practice/companies wishing to implement and utilise BIM as a tool for Project

Management in their workplace.

This table is a combined set of work stages for Project Management and BIM

under one common framework that can relate the Project management side and

the BIM side of a project in sequence.

Major areas of Project Management are the Production of the project,

Collaboration between stakeholders, the Design stage and the Pre-Construction stage, of a typical project taken on by a small Architectural Design

company how do you feel that BIM can play a role in these areas of Project

Management?

i. Production ii. Collaboration iii. Design Stage iv. Pre-Construction Stage

9. Where do you think BIMs power is more elusive in terms of Project

Management under the headings above?

ryan forde dfd 6042016

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