Institute for Building Information Modeling in Canada survey finds technology produces benefits

A survey conducted by the Institute for Building Information Modeling in Canada (IBC) has found that the use of BIM has resulted in some form of benefit in at least four major areas: a better end product, productivity enhancement, competitive advantage and improved documentation.

At a more detailed level, respondents indicated that BIM has been adding value to specific activities such as concept-design, coordination, interference checking and massing. Specifically, “better end product” and “improved documentation” will bring in greater benefit to the owners, IBC said.

A total of 212 responses were received. The institute said the majority of respondents are engaged in the commercial and/or institutional sectors.

“These results will provide information towards building a solid foundation and relevant scope for the IBC BIM practice manual that is now under development,” the institute said in a bulletin.

Developed by IBC’s BIM practice manual committee, a group of practitioners representing a wide spectrum of construction disciplines, the survey was conducted online late last year.

Respondents included architects, engineers, private owners and specification writers.

Pierre Boucher, the Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) chief operating officer, said less than 40 per cent of respondents indicated that they have experienced interoperability problems, which came as a surprise.

He said the institute expected that number to be higher.

The institute said the survey also revealed that users are aware of the slow process of BIM adoption and are looking to the regulatory authorities to advance it.

Boucher said users would like to see such authorities “lead and facilitate” the coordinated use of BIM, develop and recommend best practices, policies, tools and procedures to support BIM utilization, educate and train the workforce and emphasize BIM as a process “and provide clarity.”

IBC also reported that a working committee has been formed to address the development of contract language documents for the purpose of BIM. Two documents are now being finalized. One consists of guiding principles for BIM contract language; the other lists a set of supplementary conditions for use in standard contract forms.

The guiding principles touch on issues such as add-ons, copyrights, project-specific details, process and risk. A BIM execution plan is also under consideration, the institute said.

The institute is also finalizing its communications strategy assessing the means by which BIM can be implemented in a way and at a pace that enables the stakeholders to understand their roles and responsibilities and to assess their capacity to participate in this process. Part of the strategy is to provide information sessions/workshops for the various user interest groups.

The institute’s mission is to lead and facilitate the coordinated use of BIM in the design, construction and management of the Canadian built environment. Founding partners in addition to CCA include the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada, Construction Specifications Canada and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in addition to some government agencies.