IMPLEMENTING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING (BIM) FOR CONSTRUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT IN DESIGN-BUILD PROJECTS

Abstract

Building information modeling (BIM) is an innovative concept for construction management, which can benefit all stakeholders in several aspects, including project risk management. However, there have been limited studies about the relations between risk and BIM, as well as the implementation of BIM for construction risk management, particularly in design-build (DB) projects where most risks are transferred to the DB contractors. This research proposes BIM uses that are appropriate for managing different construction risks. A total of 20 DB project risks were compiled from past literature and verified through in-depth interviews with BIM and DB project experts, and 30 BIM uses were identified and reviewed thoroughly. A risk-BIM use framework was created based on the common attributes of risks and BIM uses, including risk factors, BIM use purposes, project lifecycle, facility elements, and responsible parties. The proposed framework consists of five main steps: (1) detail setting, (2) BIM use purpose analysis, (3) risk investigation, (4) BIM use filtering, and (5) matrix update. An important result is a risk-BIM use relation matrix, which provides all potential BIM uses to manage critical project risks. A guideline on utilizing BIM uses for risk management is elaborated. The proposed framework was verified through three case studies of BIM-adopted DB projects in the Philippines. The important factors considered in selecting the optimal BIM uses for risk management are analyzed based on the BIM uses each case study actually implements as compared with those suggested by the proposed framework. Such factors are educational background and capability of contractors, project size, upfront cost, pilot projects, learning curve and eagerness to adopt, internet, client demand, government support, and governing body. The results can be used to establish a comprehensive BIM-based system for managing construction risks.