SCSI BIM Submission to the Enterprise Ireland BIM Implementation Forum June 2014
Introduction Building Information Modelling (BIM) can improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of construction projects to deliver overarching value to the construction sector. Many international construction stakeholders are hoping to reap major benefits from BIM that will deliver projects to completion stage within a shorter time frame and a reduction in the overall cost. There are however, a number of challenges facing the adoption of BIM. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, whose members include Quantity Surveyors, Building Surveyors and Project Managers, believe that BIM should be adopted in a measured way to ensure that the industry, and SME firms in particular, can adapt to new processes and improve their competitiveness. The SCSI s Construction Sector Review & Outlook 2014, endorsed the recommendation from the Forfas Strategic Report on the Construction Industry to promote the take-up of BIM and the SCSI was pleased to see BIM included in the recent Construction 2020 strategy published by Government. The SCSI, which works in partnership with RICS in the UK where BIM has been mandated, recommends a push/ pull approach to ensuring the implementation of BIM. As was recommended in the UK Strategy, Government will pull BIM adoption by: Encouraging BIM use on publicly funded projects Setting consistent information requirements across the programme Specifying and collecting data from the BIM model Using the data to improve performance
On the other side of the equation, Industry will push BIM competence by: Creating an infrastructure of standards, guidance and training Focusing industry on defined targets for benefits realisation Removing blockages to adoption Raising the trailing edge to a minimum level of BIM performance The adoption of BIM will not be without challenges and one of the issues in the UK has been the slow take up by Stakeholders in relation to BIM. Many countries have been quick to embrace BIM with varying degrees of success, whilst others appear to be posturing until such time as the performance of the package can be accurately measured. It is vitally important that we learn from other countries of the errors or shortcomings that has been experienced in the implementation of BIM. It is well documented from research conducted in the UK of the benefits BIM brings to the construction sector, however practical difficulties will arise if some important measures are not considered during any introduction of BIM packages for capital works projects. A recent report has been published in the UK relating to the performance of BIM titled The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets How Contractors around the World Are Driving Innovation with Building Information Modelling (January 2014). As shown on the below graph a construction company reported that BIM has reduced construction costs by 23% whilst achieving an overall project delivery by 19%.
If the suggested BIM cost savings and associated advantages of reducing errors, speeding up the delivery, reducing re-work etc. are to be embraced by the Irish Government, It is vital that this is not shrouded by the practical difficulties that can arise with a rushed or ill-conceived implementation of BIM. Considerations for the BIM implementation working group 1. To ensure a smooth transition to BIM for construction projects in Ireland, It is vital that the BIM implementation working group is made up of a multi-disciplinary panel including surveying and project management disciplines. Without this multi-disciplinary collaboration, the principal of BIM may be unachievable. The SCSI recommends that the Irish Government, with industry participation, consider any analysis and interim reviews of BIM implementation in the UK in order to learn from previous mistakes. 2. (a) Proposed Role of National BIM Working Group SCSI agrees that the group should avoid work duplication. A documentation framework is critical; this should record all available documentation (UK and other templates) and analyse which documents can be adopted / amended to work. When looking at the proposed task of promoting adoption of common standards and procedures this should cover procedures for all disciplines and most importantly the cohesion of standards. At present disciplines are working to misaligned standards and protocols therefore losing the majority of BIM collaboration. It is therefore important that all disciplines are informed of the level of detail required in any pricing documentation and that this standard is maintained to avoid any practical difficulties. This common problem is documented in some reports published in the UK. 2. (b) BIM and the surveying disciplines The design disciplines are working independently to surveying disciplines and in the majority of cases the BIM data is not beneficial to the surveying disciplines. Establishing the current status of BIM in Ireland should include the practical / technical difficulties being encountered by design team disciplines. This will allow clear focus on the areas requiring protocol. At present many difficulties are being encountered with the software, file formats, and loss of data through file transfer. Technical difficulties will limit BIM use.
3. Legislative / Industry Governance A clear and well defined Government BIM Strategy would need to be developed prior to the government proposing or considering mandating BIM. This strategy may be different to the UK strategy in that the supply side in Ireland seems to be the drivers in BIM; the push-pull theory as adopted in the UK may not be the correct approach. 4. Supply Side BIM It would be extremely beneficial to ascertain the level of BIM adoption and the extent of use in the Supply chain. These findings would be encouraging and would prove some benefits of BIM adoption; to the industry and the government. 5. Construction Industry Support The SCSI believes that the Construction Industry Council, the collective comprising architects, surveyors, engineers, building materials suppliers and developers and which represents over 50,000 construction professionals should be approached to support the up-take of BIM both on the pull side with Government and on the pull side through a joined up and multi-disciplinary approach via collaboration on training and events between the CIC member organisations. 6. Public Capital Programme to 2020 The Department of Public Expenditure & Reform is currently undertaking a review of the Public Capital Programme to 2020. The SCSI has made an extensive submission on this and included recommended that BIM should be included as a requirement where appropriate. SCSI believes that now is an opportune time to inform the DPER of the value and efficiencies of BIM by sharing case studies from the UK where BIM was effectively used to deliver public project efficiencies and cost savings, in the interests of the tax payer. 7. BIM Costs The SCSI believes that the cost in terms of both time and software fees may be a disincentive for SME s to take up BIM. Some consideration should be given to making BIM more accessible to small firms on the push side of BIM implementation. Conclusion The SCSI is a strong supporter of BIM through its BIM working group and Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying and Project Management Professional Groups and is delighted to assist the Enterprise Ireland BIM Implementation Forum in the implementation of BIM.
About the SCSI Dating back to 1895, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland is the independent professional body for Chartered Surveyors working and practising in Ireland. Working in partnership with RICS, the pre-eminent Chartered professional body for the construction, land and property sectors around the world, the Society and RICS act in the public interest: setting and maintaining the highest standards of competence and integrity among the profession; and providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues for business, society and governments worldwide. Advancing standards in construction, land and property, the Chartered Surveyor professional qualification is the world s leading qualification when it comes to professional standards. In a world where more and more people, governments, banks and commercial organisations demand greater certainty of professional standards and ethics, attaining the Chartered Surveyor qualification is the recognised mark of property professionalism. Members of the profession are typically employed in the construction, land and property markets through private practice, in central and local government, in state agencies, in academic institutions, in business organisations and in non-governmental organisations. Members services are diverse and can include offering strategic advice on the economics, valuation, law, technology, finance and management in all aspects of the construction, land and property industry. All aspects of the profession, from education through to qualification and the continuing maintenance of the highest professional standards are regulated and overseen through the partnership of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and RICS, in the public interest. CONTACT DETAILS Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland 38 Merrion Square Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 6445500 Email: policy@scsi.ie