An investigation into the implementation of Building Information Modelling into the United Kingdom's construction industry, and the financial implications to smaller contracted firms.

Abstract

Building Information Modelling has become a major factor of the construction industry since the Governments construction strategy published in 2011, stating that all publicly procured contracts have to be using level 2 BIM by 2016. This has added extra costs and responsibilities to an industry resistant to change. The financial costs and effects for all the different parties with working with BIM have not been as publicly stated as the ""potential"" savings for efficiency BIM can produce. The aim of this study is to understand how the implementation of BIM is financially effecting smaller sub-contracted companies.
Information and published literature has been reviewed to allow for a quantitative approach towards investing and finding out the aims to the study. Questionnaires were sent out to steel frame and fabricating contractors and pre-cast and insitu concrete contractors to gain an understanding into the effects BIM implementation is having to their companies. The data then collected has been analysed looking for the similar views on the effect BIM implementation is having.
Due to the speed at which BIM is being implemented, and the continued development of BIM software. Confusion regarding requirements and the standards of BIM to be by 2016 are not known universally throughout the construction industry, and poor implementation procedures of BIM effecting the opinion of it. However BIM is seen as the future of the UK's construction with the Government looking further ahead to BIM dominance within the worldwide construction market, as the UK's construction slows down in relation to the rest of the world. Just the journey that’s being taken to this dominance is effecting the implementation of Building Information Modelling as the concept happening correctly and efficiently in the home construction industry, which is still critical.