Shanghai’s green climate sets the backdrop for the current state of BIM practice and application, which largely reflects the actual level of green BIM implementation in China. However, there are noticeable gaps in how green BIM is applied across the country.
1) BIM and Project Environmental Protection: Chinese companies tend to underutilize BIM to achieve environmental protection goals within their projects. Unlike the US construction market, China lacks comprehensive standards and technical guidelines aimed at improving building efficiency, optimizing resource use, and reducing carbon emissions—whether for new construction, renovations, or refurbishments. Companies that prioritize environmental targets, similar to those in the US, typically focus on energy performance analysis, lighting evaluation, and HVAC design. However, they often overlook the careful selection of green building materials and renewable energy sources. Given China’s higher volume of new construction projects, sustainable development demands greater attention to these areas.
2) BIM and Design: In China, BIM use during project design—especially green BIM—is relatively rare. BIM is more commonly employed after the design phase, mainly to create building models post-completion of architectural or structural design. This reduces BIM to a simple analytical and drawing output tool. Additionally, the absence of technical standards for 3D engineering drawings means that even when BIM is used in design, the deliverables at each design stage are basically 2D drawings derived from BIM models and evaluated according to national standards. Furthermore, because design contracts lack enforceable provisions regarding BIM, its use often only serves as a competitive advantage for design firms. Clear guidelines on BIM application requirements, model evaluation criteria, rights and responsibilities in design development using BIM, and the contractual and legal validity of BIM models remain insufficient.
3) BIM and Engineering Cost Management: Although BIM can offer more accurate data on building materials used in projects, China’s construction cost management faces challenges. This is due to significant differences in how construction engineering quantities are priced and categorized compared to international standards. Variations in project divisions, sub-item settings, and quantity calculation rules mean that BIM solutions based on local standards cannot fully meet domestic cost management needs.
4) BIM and Virtual Construction: The value of BIM significantly increases when applied during the construction phase. Through repeated visual simulations and ongoing optimization of construction plans, lean construction practices can be realized. The depth of BIM model development directly affects the level of lean construction achieved. However, current limitations in software and hardware make it difficult to use BIM for comprehensive virtual construction, especially for complex, large-scale projects. Highly detailed models can overwhelm computer hardware and incur unnecessary costs. Moreover, relying solely on BIM for construction scheduling is insufficient. Effective execution requires integrating BIM with logistics and site management. The application of BIM should evolve from a project-specific tool to an enterprise-wide approach, enabling better allocation of an organization’s human and material resources across multiple projects.
In summary, the challenges facing green BIM in project design, construction practice, and application in China remain significant. Nevertheless, with the rapid adoption of BIM technology and ongoing transformation within the domestic construction industry, green BIM is poised to flourish throughout China in the near future.
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