Assessing the benefits and barriers of the use of building information modeling (BIM) in the Ghanaian Building Construction Industry
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Date
NOVEMBER, 2015
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Abstract
Building Information Modelling “BIM” has become a well-known collaboration procedure in the Building Construction Industry. Property/Home Owners are challenging Architectural, Engineering and Construction companies to provide some form of BIM Services. Evidence exist on the implementation of BIM in the Building construction field in other parts of the world especially in Australia, United Kingdom and many parts of the United States of America. Surprisingly, its implementation is yet to even be discussed in literature in Ghana and other African developing countries. The study, therefore is aimed at exploring the benefits and barriers confronting BIM implementation in the Ghanaian Building Construction Industry. The aim was anchored on the following objectives to identify areas of possible BIM use to identify paybacks with use of BIM looking at the Ghanaian Construction Industry; and to also identify the barriers to its implementation. Data collected was further analysed using mean score ranking and relative importance index. The study adopted survey approach whereby Primary data was collected from respondents including construction managers and other professionals in the Building Construction Industry, Architect, Engineers, and Quantity Surveyors etc. The study identified Building Information Modelling uses for construction, preconstruction and post construction phases as well. The study concluded BIM as tool to assist Building construction planning. The significant benefits with the use of BIM is the improved conception of the task of construction, enhanced communication between project players and improved scheduling proficiency. Despite these potentials, the following key barriers were identified against the implementation, BIM set-up costs, Lack of awareness on it, Risk Exposure, and. Culture opposition. From findings, it is recommended that BIM (4D modelling) ought to be implemented in the Building Construction Industry and an Act of Parliament to give it a legal backing in order to explore the full potentials and further be developed as a standard in the Ghanaian Building industry. The study exhibits a significant epitome in the area of BIM in Ghana. The study is of utmost utility to construction professionals.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Building Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Construction Management.
Keywords
Building Information Modelling (BIM), Building Construction Industry