Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology is currently one of the most prominent research areas in civil engineering. BIM serves as a data-driven tool designed for the collaborative management of engineering projects. It uses the information parameters provided and generated by various stakeholders as the foundation for creating models. These information-rich models are then shared, transmitted, and continuously updated throughout the entire lifecycle of a project—from planning and construction to operation and maintenance.
In construction projects, the resources and information held by any single company or department are insufficient to meet the growing complexity of project demands. Traditional construction methods, once crude, are becoming more standardized, and project management is shifting focus from maximizing individual interests to achieving mutual success across all parties involved.
This shift has driven the effective mobilization of resources and data integration among all stakeholders, leading to the rise of BIM technology. BIM is set to become the central hub for information integration in future buildings, spanning the entire project lifecycle. It offers comprehensive services for information integration, storage, and interaction across various professional domains such as design, cost estimation, construction, and procurement.
By leveraging BIM, construction projects can significantly reduce costs. Current applications demonstrate that BIM greatly enhances collaboration and work efficiency. Its adoption is widespread in construction projects, with the earlier and longer BIM is applied, the more complete the information becomes—and consequently, the greater the value derived from the project.
Despite these advantages, market demand remains a key barrier to BIM adoption. According to a 2018 BIM survey by the UK’s National Building Standards (NBS), the UK is among the highest BIM adopters globally; yet, 75% of respondents cited “no customer demand” as the primary obstacle to wider BIM implementation.
BIM collaborative design implementation depends largely on two factors: technology and user groups. However, nearly all current cross-software platform model imports and exports result in information loss, highlighting a significant market need to improve data flow between software tools. In the short term, ensuring smooth information exchange throughout the entire BIM collaborative design process remains a challenge.
In more complex projects, BIM still faces many demonstration challenges, and its practical benefits are not always fully realized.
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