The BIM roundtable at the 2024 Construction Technology Summit in Austin, Texas, US. (Image: Eason Photography)

鈥淚 think when people hear the [acronym] BIM, they immediately think of a 3D model,鈥� explained Dr William O鈥橞rien from the University of Texas. 鈥淏ut really, we鈥檙e talking about a digital representation of the project.鈥�

Dr O鈥橞rien was a panellist on ConTech鈥檚 鈥淏IM round-table鈥� talk that sought to answer the question: Will the latest iterations of BIM help maintain its relevance on today鈥檚 infrastructure projects?

He was joined by Adam Cisler of Hexagon Geosystems and Corey Johnson of Bentley Systems, and the trio agreed 鈥� in certain terms 鈥� that building modelling has arrived, is here to stay, and is likely to improve.

O鈥橞rien, who is a professor of construction engineering project management at Texas in Austin and the associate director of technology for the Construction Industry Institute, noted that, as BIM adoption moves forward, so too will companion technology like digital twins.

He said BIM and digital twins provide 鈥� especially for infrastructure projects 鈥� 鈥渢he correct attributes, structure, but also the geospatial connections to utilities.鈥�

Do contractors understand BIM?

But in the US, where the panellists鈥� companies and organisations are based, adoption of BIM has been slow compared to other regions in the world; some European member states and the UK, for example, have mandated BIM practices for publicly funded projects, whereas, in America, BIM regulations differ from state to state.

Johnson acknowledged, 鈥淲e鈥檙e a little behind where the building market has been [and] where the European market is.鈥�

He noted some of it might come down to contractors misunderstanding the purpose of BIM software and technology.

鈥淲hat if you could put in existing metrics and track the history of other projects that use those same components?鈥� he asked rhetorically, while explaining the advantages of cultivating a building information model or twin. 鈥淭hen you can track and understand [if this is] the right piece of equipment, the right lighting to use.鈥�

The benefits go beyond just engineering and structural needs, he said.

鈥淲e have historical data, and you can actually make better decisions even earlier on in design,鈥� said Johnson.

鈥淏IM is not just the model,鈥� added Cisler. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily all about the technology, it鈥檚 really about the people and the processes.鈥�

Education is key

Since a functioning BIM platform might be unique to any given company, it鈥檚 understandable that, in some cases, multiple departments will have a role in cultivating the model.

That鈥檚 where internal education is key, said Cisler, which has been lacking industry-wide.

鈥淲e spun up a training programme to basically run everybody in the company through what BIM is and鈥ow to operate within the model so that we could actually get more efficiency out of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge education piece, and people are hesitant because they think it has such a large learning curve.鈥�

And the divide is between the largest companies and the smallest. Data suggests most large-scale projects (90% or higher) and companies working on them use BIM. On smaller projects and with smaller firms, the figure is closer to 30% adoption.

鈥淎 lot of the smaller projects, they are [focusing on] time and material, still,鈥� explained Johnson on the divide. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no incentive. Until you change those contracts [or] until you change what the actual deliverable is, you鈥檙e not going to see [smaller projects] adopt those technologies.鈥�

And with nearly 40 years of development, BIM practices are no longer held back by technology; instead, modern tech is making the process easier.

Dr William O鈥橞rien of the Construction Industry Institute and the University of Texas at Austin. (Image: Eason Photography)

鈥淭he answer used to be: the technology wasn鈥檛 ready or is still niche,鈥� said O鈥橞rien about previous decades鈥� slow acceptance of BIM. 鈥淲e鈥檙e largely beyond that. It鈥檚 really not the technology anymore.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the people, the training鈥� the contracts, and, frankly, the expectation of deliverable in our environment,鈥� he continued.

He used the example of creating a 3D model only to have it translated to 2D for builders and contractors. It鈥檚 a part of the construction process that could be retired, O鈥橞rien said.

鈥淥nce you go [to 2D], it鈥檚 hard to come back up,鈥� he said. 鈥淐hanging our contracting language, changing the way we do business, that鈥檚 the challenge but, also, the opportunity.鈥�

User-friendliness reduces fear factor

BIM and digital twin platforms have become far more user-friendly in recent years, as well, which Cisler said will lead to more universal adoption with time.

In Hexagon鈥檚 construction analysis portal, Cisler said there鈥檚 no 鈥榞atekeeping鈥� of the model, and that every segment of a project has access to interact with the information. The collaborative working space can be more beneficial when everyone has access and knows how to use the tools, he said.

鈥淲e can bring the foreman in, the superintendents, [or] the people are that typically afraid of breaking something in the model or鈥� don鈥檛 know how to navigate in the traditional 3D modelling platforms,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aking it more ubiquitous, making it more accessible, that鈥檚 going to put more eyeballs on it, and that鈥檚 going to give you more value.鈥�

And the panellists noted BIM鈥檚 purpose exists well-beyond the design phase of any project, though most applications take place in pre-construction.

鈥淭he model should be created early on in the design, making that product useful to the downstream consumer, whether it鈥檚 construction, start-up and commission, operations,鈥� said O鈥橞rien, noting functionality down the supply-chain has been a barrier to use.

Johnson illustrated how holistic input to a BIM process aids a project.

鈥淎 pipe is not a pipe,鈥� he said, explaining that a six-inch conduit from one company may have entirely different properties to from another company. 鈥淗ow do you actually find that information? When you start putting some logic to it that is consistent, like a cost code or Omniclass, then it makes it a lot easier for people.鈥�

It should not be up to the designers, in conception, to understand all this, either.

鈥淲e should, as a technology provider, give them the opportunity to add the data that makes sense for them, for their situations,鈥� said Johnson.

鈥淟et鈥檚 teach our designers to model for modelling,鈥� he continued. 鈥淟et鈥檚 not teach them to model for paper. Because, right now, the deliverables are paper. Let鈥檚 get rid of that. Let鈥檚 actually model it properly and fill in all those details, and then the paper representation should be a clear reflection on the model, not the other way around.鈥�

Will the US ever fully adopt BIM regulations?

On whether or not the US will ever fully adopt mandated BIM regulations, the panellists weren鈥檛 sure it鈥檚 a method that would work in their home country while recognising successful mandates elsewhere.

鈥淚n Europe, in the UK, they enforced it. They have a plan,鈥� said Johnson, adding that varying laws between US states makes uniformity difficult in America. 鈥淏ut, the United States鈥� they鈥檙e still pouring concrete, building roads, very similar, but [the states] have different specs, different requirements. That鈥檚 the challenge.

鈥淭he technology is there, but it鈥檚 the legal contracts,鈥� he said.

Cisler agreed, expressing scepticism the federal government could successfully force BIM on builders.

He said, however, that if incentives to adopt the process prove worthwhile, more firms will implement BIM.

鈥淚nsurance companies [could] start to lower premiums on projects that are using some of these AI monitoring tools for site safety reasons,鈥� Cisler said. 鈥淥nce incentives catch up, I think there鈥檚 going to be more use and adoption.鈥�

Target the small wins

Addressing a question from the ConTech assembly, Johnson encouraged project leaders to take adoption slow and set measurable, attainable goals. He said too many contractors, with their first adoption of BIM practices, try to 鈥渂oil the ocean鈥� or do too much too fast.

鈥淭hey want to have very large outcomes and [say], 鈥業 saved 30% on this job,鈥欌€� he said. 鈥淒o a little bit on the project. Get the small wins. Set the goal small [and] if you don鈥檛 see improvement in some workflow, you鈥檙e not doing it right.鈥�

An investment like BIM or digital twin software can be huge for some companies but so can the rewards.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a tremendous opportunity,鈥� said Dr O鈥橞rien. 鈥淸It鈥檚] a chance for us to have better discussions about how can we deliver a better operating model in a virtual form鈥� and use that to drive the construction cycle and design cycle to be better.鈥�

A group of current and former University of Texas staff and students at the 2024 Construction Technology Summit in March. (Image: Eason Photography)