Chamikara, K L; Perera, B A K S; Raigama Acharige, D P and Ekanayake, B (2026) Adaptability of BIM technology to mitigate the cost overruns in design and build projects. Construction Innovation, 26(2), pp. 464-490. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose – Cost overruns are an inevitable issue in design and build (D&B) projects. In D&B projects, causes for cost overruns can be managed by adopting appropriate building information modelling (BIM) functions. Because there is a research gap in synergy between the use of BIM for mitigating cost overruns in D&B projects, this study aims to evaluate the adaptability of BIM to manage cost overrun issues in them. Design/methodology/approach – Research objectives were attained through a quantitative research approach adopting the Delphi technique, which consists of three rounds of a questionnaire survey. Through statistical tools, the collected data were analysed. Findings – This research revealed the ten most crucial causes for cost overruns in D&B projects, where continuous changes in designs and drawings are the top causes. Change and revision management and interoperability are the most crucial BIM functions to address the aforementioned cause. Subsequently, 16 enablers, 26 barriers and 19 strategies to implement BIM to manage the identified significant causes of cost overruns were overviewed. Originality/value – This study addresses the literature gap pertaining to the cost overrun in D&B projects and the application of BIM by studying the causes for cost overrun, suggesting BIM functions to mitigate the above cause. Moreover, this study assessed the probable barriers and enablers for BIM adoption in construction projects from D&B perspective.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building information modelling; construction industry; cost overrun; Delphi study; design and build |
| Index terms: | quantitative research, Delphi method, building information modelling, cost overrun, interoperability, synergy, construction industry, survey, drawing, strategy, Delphi technique, adaptability, questionnaire, methodology, construction project, design and build |
| Subjects: | management, partnership management, industry analysis, information systems, systems and processes, data collection methods, technical documentation, data analysis and analytics, financial and cost management, research methods, production management, user focus, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Project Management, Procurement, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Stakeholder Management, Digital Applications, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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