Teo, E A L; Ofori, G; Tjandra, I K and Kim, H (2015) The potential of building information modelling (BIM) for improving productivity in Singapore construction. In: Raiden, A and Aboagye-Nimo, E (eds.) Proceedings of 31st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2015, Lincoln, UK.
Abstract
Since 2013, it has been compulsory for practitioners to prepare proposals for building plan approval using Building Information Modelling (BIM). Moreover, raising productivity has been accorded the top priority in the current growth strategy for Singapore's economy. The utilisation of BIM in the Singapore construction industry is examined, and the possibility of deriving further benefits from the potential of BIM to improve productivity in the industry is explored. A series of interviews was carried out and an online questionnaire-based survey was undertaken in 2014 to investigate the views of practitioners on the current state of productivity and BIM application in the Singapore construction industry, and explore the potential of BIM to help in the efforts to improve productivity on construction projects. The interviewees comprised a representative cross-section of relevant parties in the industry including policy makers, contracting companies, architectural firms, a consultancy firm, a professional institution and a trade association. The respondents to the online questionnaire were contractors, architectural firms, structural engineering firms, mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering firms and quantity surveyors. The findings suggest that the framework set up by the Singapore government has laid the necessary foundation for the implementation of BIM in the construction industry. The respondents acknowledge that BIM has the potential to enhance elements of practice beyond the preparation of models for mandatory submission, through pre-project planning, identification of documentation errors and productivity monitoring using actual construction site data. However, BIM is used more widely at the beginning stages of the projects. In the long term, much more needs to be done to use BIM in a strategic and more sophisticated manner, in particular, to further improve productivity in the industry.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | BIM; improvement; potentials; productivity; Singapore |
| Index terms: | construction site, consultancy, questionnaire, monitoring, construction industry, proposal, productivity, Singapore, project planning, documentation, building information modelling, quantity surveying, strategy, practitioner, survey, implementation, architectural firm, construction project, approval, interview, engineering firm |
| Subjects: | contractual role, production management, practitioner, Geography, industry analysis, firms, project planning, organization, professional development, data collection methods, profession, information systems, management, contractual arrangements, work location, control systems, business |
| Topics: | Project Management, Research Practice, Site Management, Procurement, Information Management, Geographical Context, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, Roles and Professions, Contract Administration, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here