New Study Measures High Impact from BIM on the Success of Complex Projects

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Complex construction projects such as hospitals, laboratories, airports and high-tech manufacturing have the greatest risk for costly problems, but a new study by Dodge Data & Analytics, conducted with the partnership and support of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, demonstrates that the use of BIM has a high impact on reducing the risks and increasing the success of these projects.

To download the new study, “Measuring the Impact of BIM on Complex Buildings SmartMarket Report,” visit http://analyticsstore.construction.com/Complex_BIM?sourcekey=PRESREL.

Owners, architects, engineers and contractors with significant BIM experience rated the impact of BIM on 23 separate complex project outcomes throughout the design and construction process, with the largest percentage noting the following:

• 74 percent of contractors and 64 percent of architects report BIM has a high impact on improving the constructability of the final design, which can reduce or eliminate expensive rework in the field, and improve cost and schedule performance.
• 73 percent of owners find that the use of BIM has a high impact on increasing their understanding of proposed design solutions, increasing their involvement in the design process and their satisfaction with the finished building.
• 71 percent of engineers find that BIM has a high impact on improving the quality and function of the final design, traditionally thought impossible to do without increasing cost.  

Metrics for positive outcome improvements cited by BIM users in the report include :

• 40 percent of owners find that use of BIM on their complex projects accelerates project completion by 5 percent or more.
• 41 percent of contractors report that BIM reduces final construction cost by 5 percent or more.

The research also examines the drivers that enable these results. Better construction documents and improved teamwork and collaboration are widely recognized by all respondents as major contributors to project success. In addition, 63 percent of owners and 72 percent of contractors consider early trade contractor involvement to be a critical factor to achieve improved outcomes.