Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is BIM?
2. Why outsource BIM?
3. What is the future of BIM?
4. Does the down economy have an effect on the use of BIM?
5. What industry segments are most likely to use BIM?
6. What are the benefits of BIM?
7. Is there a measurable ROI using BIM?
8. What professions are finding BIM valuable?
9. Is BIM changing the way firms do business?
10. What content is in highest demand for BIM?
11. What are the most popular BIM tools?
12. What elements are most likely to be modeled in BIM?
13. In what ways is BIM Changing how users work?
14. What is the impact of BIM on Green Building?

1. What is BIM?
BIM is the process of creating and using digital models for design, construction and/or operations of projects.

Building information modeling is quickly gaining traction. After years of development and experimentation in the marketplace, BIM is bringing swift transformative change to how firms approach their work.

Research shows that users see clear benefits of BIM and they are responding by expanding the use of the technology. At a time when the overall development market is tightening, firms are looking for BIM to help they gain a competitive advantage. jump to top

2. Why outsource BIM?
Outsourcing BIM services gains a company an experienced, seasoned expert without the investment in technology, training and employee overhead. BIM can be used on a selective basis for only projects that demand it, offering scalability of a firm’s resources. jump to top

3. What is the future of BIM?
BIM is the future of building construction. As BIM use becomes more prevalent, much of the industry has a positive view of its effect on their business practices. Half of users say BIM has a very positive impact on their respective companies. jump to top

Contractors have the most positive view of BIM. Sixty-one percent of contractors say it has a very positive effect on their companies. Contractors see benefits such as improved clash detection that can directly reduce costs and delays.

Architects also see BIM as beneficial with three in five reporting it has a very positive effect. Thirty-eight percent say it has a neutral or slightly positive impact. Through use of BIM, many architects find they can spend less time drafting and more time designing.

Engineers are also generally positive about BIM, though slightly less compared to other users. Thirty-seven percent report that BIM has a very positive effect on their businesses. A majority (54%) say BIM has a neutral or slightly positive effect. Engineers can leverage data in BIM to help with simulation and analysis.

Owners are largely positive about BIM, but less than contractors and architects. One in 10 report that it has a negative impact. This could be related to concerns over its cost. Many owners do not see the direct benefits of BIM compared to others. This could change as the capabilities of BIM for owners expand. jump to top

4. Does the down economy have an effect on the use of BIM?
McGraw-Hill Construction research shows that, in the face of an economic recession, BIM users expect to significantly ramp up their investment in BIM in 2009. Experienced users are realizing greater productivity, improved communications and a competitive edge when bidding work. As development opportunities tighten, these users continue to differentiate themselves from those who have yet to adopt the technology, bringing value to clients while improving their bottom line.

Key Findings
62% of BIM users will use it on more than 30% of their projects in 2009.
82% of BIM experts believe that BIM has a very positive impact on their company’s productivity.
72% of BIM users say that BIM has had an impact on their internal project processes. jump to top

5. What industry segments are most likely to use BIM?
BIM is being broadly adopted across the construction industry with over 50% of each survey segment – architect, engineers, contractors, and owners (AEC/O) – utilizing the tools at moderate levels or higher. In the population as a whole, roughly one-third (35%) of BIM users are very heavy users, one-third (27%) are medium to heavy users, and one-third (38%) are light users. Key segment findings include:

Architects are the heaviest users of BIM with 43% using it on more than 60% of their projects. Contractors are the lightest users of BIM with nearly half (45%) using it on less than 15% of projects and a quarter (23%) using it on more than 60% of projects. BIM usage will also grow rapidly in the coming year. Nearly half of all current adopters (45%) will be heavy users of BIM in 2009, using it on at least 60% of their projects—a 10 point increase over the previous year. A majority of architects (54%) will be very heavy users of BIM in 2009, up from 43% in 2008.

Contractors expect to see the greatest increase in BIM usage in 2009. Thirty-eight percent will be heavy users, up from 23% in 2009. Only 12% expect light use of BIM, compared to 45% the previous year. jump to top

6. What are the benefits of BIM?
In general, BIM users see the need to balance the benefits of improved productivity and coordination with the challenges of BIM-related costs and training issues. The Top Benefits of BIM are - Easier coordination of different software and project personnel.

• Improved productivity
• Improved communication
• Improved quality control

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7. Is there a measurable ROI using BIM?
Results from companies who are actively tracking BIM return on investment are showing initial BIM ROIs of 300 to 500% on projects where BIM was used. Among those that measure it, almost one third report an ROI greater than 100%, with several greater than 1,000%.
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Some of the most important aspects of BIM ROI being measured by firms include:
Improved project outcomes such as fewer RFIs and field coordination problems (79%)
Better communication because of 3D visualization (79%)
Positive impact on winning projects (66%) jump to top

8. What professions are finding BIM valuable?
Contractors (61%) have the most positive view of BIM. Most architects see BIM as having a very positive impact on their businesses. Owners are beginning to see the value of BIM, with 41% reporting that BIM has a positive impact on their projects. jump to top

9. Is BIM changing the way firms do business?
Experts say BIM has had a dramatic impact on their internal processes, and four times more likely to say it has had a dramatic impact on their external processes Experienced firms are twice as likely to use BIM data for quantity takeoff, scheduling and estimating. jump to top

10. What content is in highest demand for BIM?
Structural elements
Mechanical equipment
Building envelope and windows jump to top

11. What are the most popular BIM tools?
Quantity takeoff
Scheduling
Estimating jump to top

12. What elements are most likely to be modeled in BIM?
Architectural
Structural
Mechanical jump to top

13. In what ways is BIM Changing how users work?
Routinely using BIM’s 3D visualization capabilities helps to communicate between all parties.sing BIM provides a jobsite activities guide for construction. More time is spent designing and less time documenting. jump to top

14. What is the impact of BIM on Green Building?
There are significant opportunities for BIM tools to address issues related to green building. Data incorporated into a BIM can be used to analyze the performance of a building, including such green aspects as day lighting, energy efficiency and sustainable materials.

Most BIM users are frequently involved in green projects and find BIM to be helpful with those projects. However, there are significant opportunities to further leverage the benefits of BIM on sustainable projects. For example, BIM could be used to track LEED credits. As BIM continues to develop, technology providers will need to improve its ability to address the sustainable design and construction demands of the industry.

77% of BIM users are involved in at least a moderate number of green projects. 57% say BIM is at least moderately helpful in producing green projects. Half of respondents indicate that a LEED certification tool would be beneficial in motivating them to use BIM on green projects. jump to top

Source: McGraw-Hill Construction, 2008