BIM: lower, faster, improved...
The global construction market is forecast to grow by over 70% by 2025 (Construction 2025, Industrial Strategy: government and industry in partnership, HM Government, July 2013). Along with the below ambitious aspirations, fundamental change must happen.
These savings can only be realised with the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digitisation within the construction Industry - Niraj Mistry, Head of BIM at Stroma Certification.
- 33% lower costs – reduction in the initial cost of construction and the whole list cost of built assets.
- 50% faster delivery – reduction in the overall time, from inception to completion, for new-build and refurbished assets.
- 50% lower emissions – reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment.
- 50% improvement in exports – reduction in the trade gap between total exports and total imports for construction products and materials.
Below I have extracted construction industry growth trends between 2012 and 2016 from the Office for National Statistics and taken into account anecdotal observations from my procurement article.
Public Sector Construction
Infrastructure, new housing, schools and colleges are the highest areas of construction output, with the five-year trend remaining relatively stable.
Infrastructure typically includes roads and motorways, railways and underground railways, bridges and tunnels, utility projects for fluids, utility projects for electricity and telecommunications, water projects, and other civil engineering projects.
Given that these assets are likely to be around for many years, the argument for the use of digital construction is very strong here. There are significant potential benefits to the operational and in-use management of these assets by adopting BIM. Surely this is the skeleton and circulatory and nervous system of a future digital built Britain?
Private Sector Construction
New housing construction output has seen a significant increase over the past five years, and if you are actively looking at new work, you will agree that this trend is set to continue. Infrastructure has the next highest output and has shown stability over the past five years. The largest growth has been with offices, schools and universities, showing a two-fold increase in the past five years.
Can digitisation help to meet aspiration?
- Lower costs – Yes, with upgraded services and products through digital innovation.
- Faster delivery – Yes, with digital collaboration and processes, utilised by people with the skills we need moving forward.
- Lower emissions – Yes, as our specialist consultations begin to embrace a wealth of digital information at their fingertips.
- Improvement in exports – Surely, by virtue of the above, we being to set a global example?
About Author
Niraj Mistry, Head of BIM at Stroma Certification
From an engineering and energy background, Niraj has over 10 years’ experience of developing national occupational standards, specifications, standards, qualifications and certification schemes for personnel and organisations.
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