Latest BIM survey shows strong growth in take-up
Users of BIM (building information modelling) trebled in the two years from late 2010 to late 2012, according to the latest survey carried out by NBS. The survey showed that actual users of BIM among respondents had grown to 39% and that the number of those who had not heard of BIM has fallen from 43% to 6%. In addition, a growing proportion of the industry is aware of BIM, but still waiting to take the plunge.
Richard Waterhouse, CEO of NBS and RIBA Enterprises, comments, ‘Investment costs are still a barrier, and concerns remain over the likely returns. This is balanced by the positive comments of those who have delivered projects using BIM and who can demonstrate returns on investment.’
There were 1350 responses to the latest survey, up from 1000 a year earlier and just 500 the year before that. Adrian Malleson, research and analysis manager with NBS, says, ‘This level of response reflects the importance of BIM to the industry.’
Architects remain the largest group of respondents at 14.4%, with building-services engineers coming in second at 4.9%.
A belief that BIM is 3D CAD is declining, with only 15% still having that perception. There is some suggestion that concentrating on just producing excellent-looking 3D CAD drawings can hide poor construction information. Users of 3D CAD have grown by a third to 40%.
Of those aware of BIM, just over 80% predicted that they would be using it in the next three years, and 62% that they would be using it in a year’s time.
There is a wide belief that BIM is the future of project information, the more so in larger companies. 80% of those in companies with over 250 employees agreed, compared with a still sizable 62% of those from practices with one or two people. Adrian Malleson observes, ‘If BIM is to be the new standard for project information, it must accommodate all practice sizes.’ However, he is concerned that almost three quarters of the industry is not clear enough on what BIM is.
Of actual BIM users, 55% found that it brought cost efficiencies, 50% that it increased speed of delivery and 46% that it increased profitability — although 21% disagreed. Only 6% wished that they had not adopted BIM.
The survey results suggest that BIM may offer a means to more work, and work that is more profitable. If clients, Government and contractors increasingly demand it, not adopting BIM may be a competitive disadvantage.
