Another survey of construction professionals has found that the majority of respondents – more than 74% – do not believe that the requirements of the 2016 BIM mandate will be met.
The survey of more than 1,200 architects, contractors, developers, engineers and product manufacturers was carried out by the BRE in partnership with UK Construction Week, a series of exhibitions and conferences including the Build Show on 6-8 October.
Law firm Pinsent Masons’ survey found that 71% believed that the 2016 target would be unachievable.
The BIM mandate will apply to all projects in England and Wales procured by central government and its agencies, but in the latest survey as many as 62% of respondents indicated that they do not understand what is needed in order to meet the requirements of BIM Level 2.
But the underlying picture suggested by the survey is that acceptance and adoption of BIM is on the increase, with 85% of respondents agreeing its introduction is a positive development for the industry.
Only 16% of the sample have never used BIM and have no plans to do so, meaning that 84% are already using BIM or are preparing to do so in the near future.
The survey also revealed other uncertainties throughout the industry. Nearly 71% of consultants and contractors questioned believed that suppliers are not moving quickly enough to provide BIM-ready information.
Bearing out this finding, around two thirds of the building product manufacturers contacted by UK Construction Week stated that their products are not yet available as BIM objects. On the other hand, 41% of manufacturers said they were not yet experiencing demand for BIM objects.
The principal barriers to BIM adoption were cited as: a lack of in-house expertise (25%); inadequate understanding within the supply chain (15%); and limited time to commit to training (14%). Overwhelmingly, 96% of respondents agreed that there is a need for greater support and training in BIM.
Asked about whether BIM capability was becoming an active factor in selecting and appointing new staff members, 23% agreed that this was the case.
Paul Oakley, associate director at BRE, commented: “The creation of accurate, complete and unambiguous information delivered from a single source is a fundamental principle of BIM. It is therefore somewhat ironic that the industry has to struggle with multiple sources [of] information in order to ascertain the requirements for BIM Level 2.”
Richard Morey, group event director at Media 10, the event company behind UK Construction Week, commented: “It’s clear that there’s still a high level of confusion about what’s needed across the industry and there’s an obvious thirst for high quality information and training – which is exactly what we are aiming to provide through the dedicated BIM Prospects Theatre at UK Construction Week, in conjunction with BRE.”
Part of the Build Show, the BIM Prospects Theatre features a programme of seminar content examining how BIM can increase efficiencies, save time and reduce costs.
Topics covered will include: practical deliver of COBie, delivery of International Foundation Class (IFC), making BIM work for product manufacturers, classification of products and making sure your business is ready for BIM Level 2.
In addition, there will be a panel discussion about the outlook for BIM in the UK on the main UK Construction Week stage, bringing the entire show programme to a close on Thursday 8 October.
Speakers will include Sasha Read from Bluebeam Software, Paul Oakley from BRE and BuildingSMART UK and Andy Sneyd from Laing O’Rourke.
UK Construction Week takes place at Birmingham NEC, and combines nine shows under one roof, totalling 1,000 exhibitors with an expected audience of 55,000 visitors.
The Build Show on 6-8 October incorporates, Timber Expo, the Surface and Materials Show, Energy 2015, Kitchens & Bathroom Live, Plant & Machinery Live, HVAC 2015, Smart Buildings 2015 and Grand Designs Live and is dedicated to the building and contracting areas of the construction industry. It will also feature Civils Expo, a dedicated section for civil engineering.
Timber Expo is one the most well attended events on the UK construction calendar dedicated exclusively to timber.
The Surface and Materials show will showcase the latest surface and material solutions for specifiers, developers and industry professionals looking for cutting edge innovations within the materials sector.
Kitchens & Bathrooms Live is a brand new event dedicated to showcasing the leading brands at the forefront of design in the kitchens and bathrooms sector.
Smart Building 2015 is the only construction event in the UK dedicated to residential and commercial integrated building technology.
Energy 2015 is a brand new event at UK Construction Week for the energy industry, aimed at energy specialists, civil engineers, architects and other industry professionals.
HVAC 2015 is the UK’s only dedicated exhibition for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industries. Exhibitors will showcase better, faster, smarter, cleaner and more efficient systems for modern buildings.
Plant & Machinery Live will showcase the latest earthmoving, lifting, handling & demolition products.
Grand Designs Live runs from 8-11 October. Presented by design guru Kevin McCloud it is based on the hugely popular Channel 4 series.
