In 2017, the Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design Institute under the Ministry of Water Resources conducted a comprehensive survey to assess the current use of BIM technology within the water resources industry. The majority of respondents were from water resources and hydropower survey and design enterprises, institutions, and several large hydropower development groups. To gain broader insights into BIM development, other industry BIM technology application organizations were also invited to participate.
The survey revealed two key findings: firstly, survey and design units share similar demands for BIM technology. While BIM helps shorten project durations and reduce errors, omissions, and clashes, many enterprises place greater emphasis on their overall corporate image, with some even considering BIM a core competitive advantage. Secondly, despite widespread adoption, most organizations are still at an early stage of BIM application, with limited depth and exploration. This is likely due to the long project cycles typical of the water conservancy industry and the unclear immediate benefits.
The survey also identified several challenges in BIM implementation:
1. Lack of a unified path and clear goals for BIM application in the water conservancy and hydropower sector, coupled with insufficient guiding policies to steer BIM development.
Specifically:
- Technological updates in the engineering sector are slow, with a heavy reliance on traditional construction techniques that limit innovation.
- There is no standardized system within the engineering industry; comprehensive BIM application standards, models, and guidelines are missing.
- Laws and regulations governing BIM use remain incomplete.
2. BIM application technology is not yet mature, particularly lacking effective application during the construction phase. Current use is mostly confined to design stages, facing multiple constraints that hinder broader adoption.
Details include:
- Although some design institutes incorporate BIM for project design, most are still in early exploratory phases, with limited proficiency and few projects, leading to low returns on BIM investment.
- BIM technology is predominantly applied during the design phase, with a notable absence of methods for its use during construction.
3. High initial costs, talent shortages, challenging training requirements, and low early-stage application efficiency hinder BIM adoption.
4. The market maturity for BIM technology in the water conservancy and hydropower industry remains low, with localization efforts still underdeveloped.
Key points include:
- Currently, BIM software used in China is mostly foreign-made, raising concerns about information security and localization.
- There is poor interoperability among various specialized software models, coupled with high costs for software upgrades.
- Contractual and claim frameworks supporting BIM applications are incomplete, resulting in an unfavorable market environment for BIM promotion.
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