BIM is 15% technology and 85% culture!

About BIM The most common view on BIM, mainly by managers, is that its a 3-dimensional design of the built environment and its primarily used during the design and construction phases. This narrow focus is good for 3D modeling vendors, such as Autodesk Revit, but its not in line with the definition of BIM which is Building Information Modeling is the process of generating and managing information about a building during its entire life cycle. According to the US National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) BIM has a complete different scope: The scope of Building Information Modeling (BIM) directly or indirectly affects all stakeholders supporting the capital facilities industry. BIM is a fundamentally different way of creating, using, and sharing building lifecycle data. Brodie McAdam, (2010) said the following about BIM: The technology enabling BIM as a process is an open standards-based collaborative business process targeting life-cycle and facility management. It includes: 3D (visualization); 4D (time-scheduling/life-cycle analysis); and 5D (cost-estimating/capital planning) which serve as a common, centralized repository/portal for all life-cycle building related information, from concept thru deconstruction. As mentioned in the new UK consolidated Building Regulations which are effective since October1st 2010! The world around us is changing and on May the 3rd of 2011 New legislation (bouwbesluit 201s) was passed by the Dutch Government which will be active as of January 1st. This new legislation encourages companies in the Netherlands such as Royal Haskoning (RH) to certify for the issuing of building permits. Privatizing the permits in the construction industry from the issuing till regulation is new and as of 2014 the Dutch government wishes not to be in control as they used to be (http://www.bouwbesluitinfo.nl/). The Drivers for Change Since its birth of RH in 1881, Royal Haskoning has been working on civil engineering projects with a focus on coastal and river management. Through the ages we have been known for finding solutions for the water challenges facing us. The flood disaster of 1953 provided the impetus for the world famous Delta Works, which reshaped the flood protection in the entire southwestern part of the Netherlands. Our flood protection effort is not finished, but continues to be enhanced and improve in view of future climate changes. (http://www.haskoninginc.com) Until the beginning of the 80s RH was one of the leading engineering advice bureaus in the Netherlands. The clientele was mainly government (public sector) and besides this also private investors (private sector). With the financial crises in the 80s construction companies found that prices for work were under pressure because they mainly got contracts from engineering companies such as RH. The construction companies such as Volker Wessels, BAM, Heijmans and others altered their strategy to enable a more strategic approach which would result in construction companies hiring engineering instead of the other way round. It took until 1987 for the BAM to acknowledge the shift from private to

public sector contracts and as a result prices went up. The BAM stated this in their 1987 annual report!. It took another 10 years for RH to notice their prices were under pressure, the clientele shifted from mainly public sector to private sector and net profit plummished. From the millennium until now RH has struggled with minimal net profit of 1 to 3%, and now the prices are still under pressure. Einstein had a theory, and you can say allot about Einstein, but mostly hes right. His theory is that you cant change significant problems if you stay at the level of thinking when the problems were created. Ervin Laszlo: The chaos point The Economic and environmental crises the world is currently undergoing shows us that were at a critical junction in history, a decision-window where we face the danger of global collapse or the opportunity for global renewal. Now we must realize that 5% of earths population flushes as much water down the toilet as the other 95% has available for drinking and the worrying thing is that its that were the 5% whos making the decisions for the other 95. Economic and environmental changes enforce more focus on all aspects of the construction environment from planning, design, construction, operations, repair, renewal, and disposal. Buildings are a major negative influencer on our environment and this becomes evident during a growing worldwide environmental and financial crisis. About 40% of the worlds energy and raw materials are used by buildings. Buildings consume about 75% of the electricity and almost 50% of the total energy output. At the same time, buildings contribute 40% of the carbon emissions and generate 20% of material waste to landfills. Now thats about buildings. The construction process is a major contributor to CO2 emissions, dry and wet waste, and has a huge impact on mobility and traffic. Have you ever wondered how many people in the traffic jam is on their way to fixing something that was designed wrong? Its estimated at 2,5% in the Netherlands and we must realize that during a holiday period the amount of traffic is 2% less which leads to disappearing traffic jams. Yes the way we design traditionally leads to traffic jams! In the Netherlands Dura Vermeer and Imtech together plan logistics and work together which saves them 25% on energy just by aligning the processes of ordering en delivery. (http://www.duurzameenergiethuis.nl). CO2 reduction in the construction industry has been on the agenda at the European parliament since 2003 (2002/91/EC) wich contains: Study into the impact of energy performance policy for new buildings by means of the Dutch situation Study into the possibilities of energy certification for existing construction enforcing the directive energy performance guideline.
http://www.narcis.nl/research/RecordID/OND1304376

Economies are intertwined with buildings and infrastructure. On the local level, the financial stability of private and public organizations can be directly impacted by the quality of construction and also facility management practices. Capital investments are required for new buildings and ongoing operational and reinvestment cost components are even greater,

representing approximately 80% of a buildings total cost over its life. In many cases the annual expenditures required to operate and maintain the physical plant are second only to salary/benefit costs. On a global scale, the stability of economy and environment can be linked to buildings and physical infrastructure (bridges, roadways, and utilities for example) in terms of competition for limited resources in a time of tumultuous economic change. Historically, the AEC sector has been unproductive primarily as a result of the practices of architects and engineers which often times lacked a quantitative cost engineering perspective. More building owners are insisting on improved business process integration and collaboration and the use of IPD (Integrated Project Delivery) as well as collaborative software tools. These initiatives offer transparency and collaboration for productivity which until now has proved elusive to stakeholders. The use of standardized information, efficient and effective business processes, and easily deployable technologies improve the AEC sector practices and performance metrics from initial concept through construction, operation, repair, renewal, and deconstruction. 4D/5D BIM (Building Information Modeling) integrated with more efficient Construction Delivery Methods such as IPD are underway to restructure the AEC industry. The economic Impacts of an Unproductive AEC Sector As shown in this Figure, the AEC sector has been unproductive. Construction productivity has decreased over the past 40 years, while productivity in virtually all other sector industries has increased significantly. Only farming industry diminished due to globalization and sponsored farming. Also 30% or more of construction projects dont meet budget or schedule. The AEC sector missed the reengineering practices while all other industries have implemented these new management theories. A study estimated the financial loses attributed to the lack of interoperability between design, engineering and in the end facility management exceeds 6 billion euro annually. Building owners and operators paid the bulk of these excess costs which included cost overruns spanning initial design, construction, and ongoing facility operations and management. While this is a considerable sum, it is dwarfed by the estimated 10-40% of non-value added labor and material waste associated with the approximate one trillion dollar U.S. construction industry.

With technology, the centralization and communication of information for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners combined with the implementation of robust business practices will enable the AEC industry to significantly improve productivity. The current and potential impacts upon global climate, change as well as associated political issues, represent a clear and present danger to which the construction industry is a contributor, and to which its stakeholders can and must respond. BIM for, and the adoption of an associated Building Information Management Framework, will drive productivity gains within the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector. The adoption of robust business processes as well as systems integration of industry knowledge domains will be facilitated by information technology. 3D/4D/5D Building Information Modeling (BIM), more collaborative Project Delivery Methods such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Job Order Contracting (JOC), and several other core competencies will converge to provide an actionable framework for professional collaboration, and increased productivity from capital planning through construction and downstream operations and maintenance. The success of these processes and technology tools is totally dependent upon transformational changes regarding the ways in which AEC professionals deliver their products and services.
Now the question to RH is if were going to alter the way we design, engineer and construct according to the BIM fundamentals in a time that the UK government ommits policies to conduct BIM as from 2014, and the same is happening in the middle and Far East (EMEA), Scandinavia and the United states. Or are we going to do the same as the early 80s? Roland Daane