Common Obstacles to Implementing BIM
While Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers significant benefits, its implementation comes with various challenges. Numerous studies have explored these obstacles, aiming to communicate the advantages of successful BIM adoption to key industry stakeholders. The slow progress in BIM adoption is not due to a single issue but rather a combination of multiple factors.
These obstacles exist at different levels: some are relatively easy to overcome, while others present more complex difficulties. Most challenges relate to the technology, knowledge, and processes required for BIM adoption. Financial constraints are often identified as the primary barrier in the construction industry. Common challenges include the high additional project costs, the need for extensive personnel training, and the resistance of many designers to use BIM for design services, which ultimately impacts the construction phase.
Moreover, establishing BIM models demands specialized software and training, which can be costly. A significant concern among companies is that training consumes excessive time and human resources. Surveys of scholars and professionals in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry reveal that many construction firms struggle to implement BIM due to the high cost of human resources and the time-intensive training required. Another major obstacle is social and habitual resistance to change. Engineers and architects have long relied on traditional methods and have been comfortable using AutoCAD (2D drawings) for over a decade. Transitioning to new processes, such as BIM applications and tools, poses a steep learning curve. Industry experts note that shifting from conventional workflows to BIM technology requires a substantial mindset change over a long period. Additionally, many companies argue that they have successfully completed projects using traditional methods without BIM, which reinforces their reluctance to switch.
Customer demand also plays a crucial role. According to a 2018 BIM survey by the UK’s National Building Standards (NBS), the UK—one of the highest BIM adopters—reported that 69% of respondents cited “no customer demand” as the main barrier to BIM adoption. Similarly, a report by McGraw Hill Construction found that 42% of companies did not use BIM because of insufficient demand from clients. Multiple studies highlight this lack of client demand as a persistent obstacle.
Another reason BIM projects often fail is the misalignment of expectations and goals for the final deliverable. To succeed, clear expectations and objectives must be collaboratively defined among all stakeholders at the project’s outset. Holzer emphasizes that internal pressure to adopt BIM will not be effective unless top management recognizes that BIM adoption is both a technical and administrative challenge.
The public sector and government can also drive BIM adoption by applying external pressure. For example, authorities in Dubai and the UK have mandated BIM usage on public projects. High-profile clients can significantly influence BIM implementation, but this requires that clients themselves have a solid understanding of BIM technology to effectively advocate for it.
Experts have identified several major obstacles affecting BIM adoption in the AEC industry, including:
- Social and habitual resistance to change
- Traditional contracting methods
- High training costs and steep learning curve
- Expensive software procurement
- Lack of understanding of BIM technology
Failures in BIM implementation in countries such as the UK and Finland often stem from companies’ unfamiliarity with BIM, reluctance to adopt new workflows or invest in employee training, unclear benefits of BIM, cultural resistance, and the absence of mandates requiring BIM use. Similarly, industries in developing countries face comparable challenges, including high software and training costs, lack of BIM expertise among construction firms, limited understanding of BIM by owners and organizations, and low demand for BIM in projects.
That concludes our overview of the common obstacles to implementing BIM. We hope this information proves helpful!
For more related insights, please read Difficulties in BIM Implementation.
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