BIM Architecture Network
During open classes held on Mondays and Tuesdays, students often raise questions about various topics, such as the development trends of BIM technology, employment opportunities, and other BIM-related issues. So, what does the future hold for BIM development?
The trend following BIM is not EPC, DB, or DBB, but rather the IPD model. What exactly is IPD? Simply put, before construction begins, the project owner brings together the design team, construction team, material suppliers, supervision team, and other stakeholders to collaboratively create a BIM model. This model serves as the final completion model—meaning what you see is what you get. All parties then use this model as a reference to carry out their respective tasks.
In this approach, there is no need to return to the design institute for drawing modifications during construction, and material suppliers cannot arbitrarily change materials due to scheme adjustments. Although developing this model requires significant time and effort upfront, once construction starts, it minimizes waste of manpower, materials, finances, and time caused by plan changes. Ultimately, this results in considerable time savings and cost reductions.
This model has been widely adopted in developed countries such as Japan, the United States, and Australia, whereas progress in Europe has been slower. Domestically, however, there is still a long way to go.
There are several reasons for this:
(1) BIM requires strong leadership. To perform effectively and achieve its intended benefits—such as cost savings, schedule efficiency, and simplified management—BIM needs a dedicated leader to champion it. Why? Because for most construction companies and subcontractors, scheme changes are a key method of generating revenue. One of BIM’s major advantages is its ability to reduce such changes. For those interested, the China Zun Project is a prime example of BIM excellence in China. Its success is largely attributed to the project owner (notably Luo Nengjun), who possessed strong BIM awareness and expertise. As a result, they excelled in areas like pipeline clash detection, energy consumption analysis, construction simulation (which has become a classic case study), intelligent ventilation (a field where design institutes are expected to increasingly apply BIM in the future), and more.
(2) Conflicts of interest and usage habits. As mentioned, many construction units and subcontractors rely heavily on scheme changes for their income, while BIM aims to minimize these changes. This inherent conflict creates resistance. Regarding usage habits, many veteran designers and engineers are not yet accustomed to BIM workflows; however, based on my experience with BIM projects, professionals generally prefer using BIM. Therefore, I am not overly concerned about this challenge. What is certain, though, is that BIM will eventually transform the entire workflow.
(3) Shortage of BIM talent. A true BIM professional is not just someone who can operate software but also understands BIM concepts. Software is merely a tool; the core lies in combining professional expertise with management skills, which requires significant time to develop. Nevertheless, I am optimistic because as practitioners’ skills improve and new talent enters the field, digitalization will inevitably become a dominant trend.
(4) Limited understanding of BIM. Common misconceptions include viewing BIM solely as software, virtual visualization, or just a model. In the international research community, BIM encompasses much more, including construction robots, 3D-printed buildings, the Internet of Things, and more. Fundamentally, BIM is about building informatization that extends into every aspect of construction. It is a methodology that leverages information technology to carry out construction activities. Most importantly, BIM represents a mindset—a new way of analyzing problems and understanding the world.
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