Using BIM technology during the construction phase enables the integration and management of data for cost control. It addresses challenges such as complex data handling and lack of coordination among various professional disciplines in cost management, ultimately enhancing the overall quality and efficiency of project management. Although more construction companies are beginning to recognize BIM’s value, its adoption still faces significant hurdles. The main issues encountered during construction cost management are outlined below.
(1) Limited Scope and Depth of Application. While many construction companies apply BIM technology to their projects, most focus primarily on modeling and visualization. This narrow focus neglects BIM’s potential throughout the entire project lifecycle, especially in schedule management. As a result, progress and cost data often remain unintegrated with BIM tools. Many professionals mistakenly view BIM merely as modeling software, overlooking that it is actually a suite of software solutions that, when used collaboratively, can greatly refine construction management processes.
Despite BIM’s growing recognition in design and construction phases, a recent survey within the UK construction industry revealed that only 39% of building professionals actively use BIM, 54% are somewhat familiar with it, and three-quarters believe the industry lacks clarity about BIM’s role. Furthermore, only 27% express confidence in BIM’s effectiveness. A global market study also shows that 36% of contractors using BIM participate at a moderate to low level, while only 11% engage at an advanced level, making it difficult to clearly identify or quantify BIM’s benefits.
In some regions, certain construction companies still operate under the mindset that projects only require completing contracted construction tasks, rather than exploring new technologies like BIM. Even among those willing to adopt BIM, few engineers have received comprehensive BIM training. Many staff possess only a basic understanding of BIM concepts, making it challenging to integrate BIM with traditional construction management or to apply BIM effectively for cost management.
(2) Limited Perceived Benefits. Currently, most construction companies adopt BIM technology primarily due to government policies rather than proactive corporate initiatives. These companies tend to focus on completing projects quickly and directly, rather than investing time and resources upfront to develop BIM models. They lack clear insight into how BIM influences cost control compared to traditional methods and remain uncertain about the potential economic advantages.
Moreover, BIM is not simply software usage; it requires combining software tools with professional expertise to fully leverage its effectiveness. Since many companies are still in the early stages of BIM adoption and face shortages of skilled personnel, BIM’s implementation is neither extensive nor deep enough during projects. Consequently, companies often perceive the economic benefits of BIM as limited.
(3) Immaturity of BIM Software Development in China. Applying BIM technology to construction cost management begins with accurate quantity takeoffs from BIM models. In China, the widely used Revit software is developed by Autodesk, a foreign company, and its quantity takeoff outputs do not fully comply with China’s measurement standards. This necessitates converting data through plugins before importing it into domestically developed BIM quantity calculation software.
However, due to the immaturity of these software tools, many model components are lost during the import process, requiring additional time to rebuild models within the quantity calculation software. This inefficiency discourages construction companies from adopting BIM technology more broadly.
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