BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a data-driven tool widely used in engineering design and construction management. By integrating all project information through parameterized models, BIM enables seamless information sharing throughout the entire lifecycle—planning, operation, and maintenance. This empowers engineering professionals to accurately assess and efficiently respond to building data. BIM establishes a robust foundation for collaboration among design teams, construction entities, and building operators, significantly improving productivity, reducing costs, and shortening construction timelines.
To enhance the exchange of information technology expertise among engineering survey and design companies, and to fulfill the directives outlined in the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s “Development Outline for the Engineering Survey and Design Industry 2011-2015,” the China Survey and Design Association launched a series of initiatives in 2012. Local and departmental industry associations were encouraged to research informationization and its applications across the sector. Through site visits, surveys, and questionnaires, the “Research Report on Informationization Construction of Engineering Survey and Design in China” was compiled, reflecting the current state and offering recommendations for improvement. The subsequent National Conference on Information Construction Exchange emphasized steady progress and innovation, using IT to drive technological advancement, support innovation, and modernize the industry. The association has also held the “Innovation Cup” BIM competition for four consecutive years in partnership with Tsinghua University’s School of Software, and organized advanced BIM training, fostering balanced IT adoption among major design companies across the country.
Over the past three decades, government entities, industry associations, and enterprises have actively promoted CAD adoption in engineering design. By the mid-1990s, computer-based drawing had fully replaced traditional drafting boards, enabling resource sharing, collaborative design, office automation, and improved enterprise management. Advanced international IT solutions and localized professional software are increasingly integrated, enhancing the quality, efficiency, and profitability of engineering survey and design work. For example, per capita turnover grew from less than 30,000 yuan at the onset of China’s reform era to 760,000 yuan in 2012—a 25-fold increase, underscoring IT’s impact on productivity. The construction and urban infrastructure industries have rapidly embraced 3D technology, with some companies reporting 30% higher efficiency, 50% reduction in design cycles, and 20% savings in materials. Major projects such as the Shanghai World Expo, Chengdu-Guiyang High-speed Railway, Baihetan Hydropower Station, Shanghai Tower, and China Zun have demonstrated advanced parametric and visualized design applications in China.
Wang Suqing, Chairman of the China Survey and Design Association: In today’s world, information technology is a new force of productivity. The degree of IT application is a critical indicator of an industry or enterprise’s modernization.
The engineering construction sector is a cornerstone of the national economy. Its technological progress and industrial upgrade are vital for overall economic development. In recent years, the industry has increasingly recognized the value of 3D collaborative design, especially BIM Technology, for reducing design cycles and costs while enhancing quality. BIM Technology is transforming design methods and profoundly impacting technological and managerial innovation as well as enterprise transformation. Looking ahead, BIM will remain a central focus in industry informationization. The Ministry’s “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” and IT development outline highlight BIM adoption as a core competitive advantage for the construction industry.
Gu Ming, Deputy Director, National Enterprise Informatization Application Support Software Engineering Center, School of Software, Tsinghua University: BIM technology should not be seen merely as a way to increase design fees.
As BIM evolves, design institutes should expand their service scope. With intelligent design, the demand for structural designers may decrease, as many tasks are automated. Professionals must add value through consulting or involvement in later construction stages. Currently, many design institutes view BIM only as a tool to justify higher design fees.
Leadership in design institutes should look beyond the present, preparing for the post-BIM era. Once BIM is widespread, institutes must seek new opportunities, leveraging creativity or shifting towards the construction phase, and using data to boost efficiency. BIM offers multiple benefits: it provides comprehensive models for workload assessment, improves management, accumulates organizational knowledge, reduces repetitive tasks, and increases profit margins through model reuse. BIM-based enterprise platforms enhance staff efficiency, support new business models, and facilitate information exchange, increasing the value of information assets.
In the early stages, supportive mechanisms are crucial for BIM adoption. All employees—not just specialized staff—should have access to BIM. Incentive systems should encourage contributions to the knowledge base, rewarding original model creation. This investment pays off as platforms mature, lowering costs and potentially allowing institutes to offer paid access to their models. As platforms develop, fewer designers may be needed, evolving towards a service-oriented model where institutes deliver services via advanced platforms.
Innovation requires not only investment but also effective incentives. Companies must change their mechanisms to sustain innovation and efficiency. Leaders should seek value-added information services, identifying assets that can be exchanged to generate value. BIM assets should not only serve internal needs but also be converted into information products for the market.
In summary, BIM technology enables enterprises to enhance design and management capabilities, increase efficiency, and develop new business areas, making them the main beneficiaries of BIM adoption.
Yu Jie, China Architecture Design and Research Institute: BIM is not simply software or a new technology, but an advanced information management platform.
BIM supports the informationization of the construction industry, transforming production methods and serving as a platform for enterprise technology and project management. It enhances management and quality, and importantly, creates lasting value through data accumulation and sharing. The China Academy of Architectural Design and Research prioritizes education, skill improvement, and software localization to maximize BIM benefits. The Academy has developed an online BIM learning platform, open to all users, featuring teaching, customer support, tool areas, knowledge bases, and announcements.
Wang Hongyu, General Manager, Third Railway Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd.: BIM should be implemented throughout the entire project lifecycle. BIM is both a technological and market trend, and design enterprises should lead its adoption.
Current challenges in promoting BIM include conceptual barriers—many designers prefer 2D platforms and are reluctant to switch to 3D—and technical issues such as inadequate commercial software and a lack of unified standards. Talent development must also keep pace. Design institutes should embrace innovation and tolerate errors during BIM implementation. BIM should improve internal operations and deliver value to project owners. Its integration should extend to construction management and operations. Collaboration with construction teams and suppliers is essential; inviting contractors to participate in modeling can optimize space, time, and resources. Industry-wide promotion and management commitment are necessary to overcome uneven development and high implementation costs.
Zhao Baosen, General Manager, Shenzhen Zhubo Building Technology System Research Co., Ltd.: BIM offers private design firms a chance to catch up.
We began using BIM three years ago. Initially, it seemed too advanced for private firms, but we realized that in China, the technology was just emerging. Our BIM team started with three members, expanded to include R&D, and gradually moved from internal projects to offering external consulting services. The main challenges included a lack of mature local software and difficulty converting 3D models to 2D drawings that comply with national standards. Most small and medium-sized design institutes lack resources for software development, so we focused on BIM engineering management consulting. While some consulting firms offer low-cost modeling, their models lack design expertise and practical value. Our team includes multidisciplinary designers and engineers with construction experience, enabling us to optimize designs and provide effective guidance for construction.
Our consulting services refine and deepen construction drawings, bridging the gap between traditional broad documents and effective on-site management. We require BIM to guide construction, improving both quality and efficiency.
Through BIM presentations and case studies, we have helped clients recognize BIM’s value in design and construction management. Consequently, after initial designs are completed elsewhere, clients seek our BIM consulting services and are willing to pay for them. The market outlook is promising, especially as large project tenders increasingly mandate BIM consulting. A professional approach to BIM application and promotion is the best path forward. Ultimately, we aim to extend BIM adoption to all design professionals, achieving comprehensive coverage.
BIM enables us to improve design quality and optimize construction processes. Different organizations have unique strengths: large state-owned enterprises can invest in complete systems, while private firms are agile and flexible. We hope design units share their achievements, and that successful experiences in major projects are made available to others for a fee, reducing redundant work.
We also recognize that BIM consulting is an emerging field. As 3D design becomes widespread and domestic software matures, BIM management consulting may serve as a transitional phase, leading to full lifecycle BIM adoption for buildings.
Song Wenxue, Chairman, Chongqing Survey and Design Association & China Machinery United Engineering Co., Ltd.: “Urgency” is the industry’s need to prepare for the future; “Force” is the active promotion of demand.
Training programs organized by the China Survey and Design Association have identified key individuals, addressed crucial tasks, and seized important opportunities, greatly advancing the industry. These courses feature comprehensive content, authoritative instructors, and practical problem-solving, playing a positive role in BIM promotion. From an industry perspective, BIM implementation is both urgent and essential. BIM is a practical application of information modeling in construction, optimizing design, construction, and operation. It supports industry integration, structural adjustment, and market competition. The main challenge is awareness: if governments, owners, and businesses do not understand BIM’s significance, promotion becomes difficult. However, with joint efforts, these barriers can be overcome.
Lee Miller, Vice President of Building SMART & Executive Director at HOK Corporation, USA: Establishing a unified standard system is a pressing issue.
Internationally, many organizations are engaging with BIM, but effective use still requires collaboration between companies, including large firms like HOK or SOM. BIM is utilized from the earliest design stages, with models facilitating construction communication. The current challenge is the need to repeatedly model and produce drawings. Ideally, the future will require fewer 2D drawings and more dynamic communication with manufacturers.
In the US, all government projects require BIM. The market is the primary driver, with large companies collaborating to promote BIM and add value. The presence of organizations like the China Survey and Design Association is encouraging. Advanced BIM platforms now contain detailed information about products and components, and many suppliers are creating their own models for designers. Eventually, a platform will emerge for this kind of interaction. In the future, all information may be stored in the cloud, accessible via a central database regardless of software. However, varying standards across countries remain a challenge, making the establishment of a unified standard system urgent.
Wang Xiaojun, Chairman, Beijing Hongye Peer Technology Co., Ltd.: Domestic software must be developed and strengthened.
There is a clear gap between domestic and international BIM applications, mainly in design standards and software maturity. While foreign countries are ahead, domestic efforts must focus on adapting to local conditions. BIM is fundamentally about information management, and future priorities will shift toward non-geometric data. Data mining is key. Domestic software is currently more application-focused, while foreign software serves both as applications and platforms. Building a recognized platform is difficult but essential. Domestic software needs to become stronger and more competitive.
Leadership commitment to BIM is vital. Without it, development is challenging. As an industry association, promoting BIM and facilitating training and exchanges has a significant impact. The association’s guidance, including on intellectual property and anti-piracy, will further support domestic software development.
Epilogue:
Information technology is now a major productive force. As its adoption deepens and high-end technologies develop, the benefits for engineering survey, design, and society will continue to grow. The level of IT adoption remains a key indicator of industry and enterprise modernization.
Time moves quickly. Design institutes have made remarkable progress, evolving from hand-drawn designs to 2D CAD and now to BIM applications. Looking ahead, it is crucial to focus on how to leverage BIM, identify new economic drivers in the post-BIM era, localize and legalize software, and establish unified standards. In this rapidly changing information age, those who can transform efforts into mutual benefits at critical moments will take the lead.
By Ni Min and Lv Yue
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