For many BIM software providers, BIM represents a costly collection of tool components. The development expenses for modeling software alone are substantial. Additionally, numerous programs designed to communicate and utilize model information come with high price tags. A professional involved in the development of Professor Liu Guobin’s underground engineering risk monitoring software at Tongji University shared that the cost of developing just the risk management module exceeded 50 million yuan. This project involved an academician, a doctoral supervisor, and dozens of PhD researchers, taking nine years to establish the core functionality—although the system remains incomplete. Developing engineering software at the component level demands enormous technical expertise and financial investment, and a complete BIM software system requires at least dozens of such specialized programs.
In China, BIM is still in its infancy. Most of the touted BIM applications have yet to be realized or are not feasible within the country. While the progress made so far is impressive and valuable, it primarily sets the stage for future development rather than addressing current needs. If someone claims their company has invested between 300 million and 2 billion yuan in developing comprehensive BIM process and professional application software, they are either exceptionally skilled or misleading. When many voices within the industry make such claims, it leads the broader public to view BIM as an overhyped and unreliable concept.
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