Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, 2015. / Submitted by Fernanda Percia França (fernandafranca@bce.unb.br) on 2015-11-23T19:02:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_DenizeValériaSantosBaia.pdf: 5656192 bytes, checksum: dec3b0c77a91d94dbbfc6c1f70141440 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ruthléa Nascimento(ruthleanascimento@bce.unb.br) on 2017-03-22T17:31:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_DenizeValériaSantosBaia.pdf: 5656192 bytes, checksum: dec3b0c77a91d94dbbfc6c1f70141440 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-22T17:31:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_DenizeValériaSantosBaia.pdf: 5656192 bytes, checksum: dec3b0c77a91d94dbbfc6c1f70141440 (MD5) / Atualmente, o uso de sistemas computacionais inteligentes voltados para a prática integrada, desde a fase de concepção até a execução e manutenção de um projeto de arquitetura, torna-se um grande diferencial no ambiente organizacional. Dessa forma, a tecnologia BIM (Building Information Modeling), que significa Modelagem de Informação da Construção, é um conjunto de informações geradas e mantidas no decorrer de todo o ciclo de vida de uma edificação. Esta pesquisa apresenta como objetivo a análise das contribuições da utilização de sistemas BIM, mais precisamente das ferramentas Revit e Navisworks, além do uso do software Ms Project, voltados para o melhor planejamento de obras da construção civil. O software Revit será usado para realizar a modelagem 3D do projeto escolhido e com os quantitativos de materiais gerados pelo programa vai ser realizado o levantamento de custos das principais atividades da obra em estudo. No Ms Project deverá ser criada a Estrutura Analítica do Projeto (EAP). E em seguida, os dados obtidos pelos programas serão incorporados no sistema Navisworks, com o intuito de gerar o planejamento 4D (os elementos gráficos da edificação podem ser atrelados ao cronograma da obra) e 5D (agrega-se a dimensão custo ao modelo tridimensional) da edificação. É de fundamental importância incorporar novas tecnologias no processo de construção, assim como os sistemas BIM, capazes de contribuir significativamente para a redução de custos e para a melhoria da qualidade e produtividade dos empreendimentos e do setor de construção civil como um todo. Deste modo, com esse estudo será possível avaliar a importante contribuição dos sistemas BIM em relação ao planejamento das obras. / Currently, the use of smart computer systems focused on integrated practice, from the design phase to the implementation and maintenance of an architectural project, become a great difference in the organizational environment. Thus, BIM (Building Information Modeling), is a set of information generated and maintained during the entire life cycle of a building. This research aims to analyze the impacts of BIM systems, such as Revit and Navisworks, and MS Project software, to building planning. The Revit BIM software will be used to perform 3D modeling of the chosen project and with the quantitative materials generated by the program we performed a study of costs of the main activities of the project under study. In Ms Project will be created to Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Then, the data obtained by the programs will be incorporated into Navisworks system, in order to generate the 4D planning (graphic elements of the building can be linked to the work schedule) and 5D (adds the dimension cost three-dimensional model) the building. It is vital to incorporate new technologies in the construction process, as well as the BIM systems capable of contributing significantly to reducing costs and improving the quality and productivity of enterprises and the construction industry as a whole. Thus, with this study will evaluate the important contribution of BIM systems in relation to the planning of the constructions.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, 2016. / Submitted by Fernanda Percia França (fernandafranca@bce.unb.br) on 2016-05-24T19:57:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_CleitonRochadeMatos.pdf: 18291938 bytes, checksum: cad4b74c09af12042a20ce2a0bb41156 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana(raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2016-05-25T19:22:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_CleitonRochadeMatos.pdf: 18291938 bytes, checksum: cad4b74c09af12042a20ce2a0bb41156 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-25T19:22:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_CleitonRochadeMatos.pdf: 18291938 bytes, checksum: cad4b74c09af12042a20ce2a0bb41156 (MD5) / A melhoria da qualidade dos projetos com o auxílio do uso da tecnologia Building Information Modeling (BIM) tem sido relatada em diversas pesquisas, tal fato motiva a adoção dessa tecnologia em vários países do mundo, alguns inclusive têm tornado o uso do BIM obrigatório devido aos diversos benefícios advindos dessa tecnologia na construção civil. Apesar da necessidade de melhorias nas obras públicas no Brasil, inclusive no tocante à redução de irregularidades, o uso do BIM, no setor público, ainda é incipiente. Devido a isso, existem poucos exemplos de obras públicas projetadas e executadas nessa tecnologia, bem como estudos da área acadêmica brasileira nesse setor, em especial, existe uma lacuna sobre o emprego do BIM nas fiscalizações de obras públicas. Assim, esta dissertação tem o objetivo de avaliar o potencial da aplicação da tecnologia BIM no auxílio das atividades desempenhadas pela equipe responsável por fiscalizar o contrato de execução das obras públicas federais. Para desenvolvimento deste trabalho foi feita uma revisão bibliográfica acerca do BIM e fiscalização de obras, a partir dessas pesquisas foi estabelecida uma relação entre os benefícios do BIM e as atividades de fiscalização de obras. Em seguida, foi aplicado as conclusões obtidos dessa relação a um estudo de caso. Como resultado principal, conclui-se que o uso do BIM 4D e 5D melhora a qualidade dos projetos, planejamento e do levantamento de quantidades e controle do custo, munindo os fiscais de informações mais qualificadas para controlar e exigir o cumprimento do contrato por parte da empreiteira e consequentemente melhorando a performance da fiscalização. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / The improvement of the quality of the projects with the assistance of technology Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been reported in several researches, this fact motivates the adoption of this technology in various countries of the world, and some even have made the use of BIM required due to several benefits from this technology in construction. Despite the need for improvements in public works in Brazil, including as regards the reduction of irregularities, the use of BIM, in the public sector, is still incipient. Because of this, there are few examples of public works designed and implemented this technology, as well as studies of Brazilian academic area in this sector, in particular, there is a gap on employment of BIM in the inspection of public works. So, this dissertation aims to evaluate the potential of BIM technology application in aid of the activities performed by the team responsible for overseeing the execution of public works contract. For the development of this work was made a bibliographical review about BIM and supervision of works, from these surveys was established a relationship between the benefits of BIM and supervisory activities. Then, we applied the conclusions obtained this relation to a case study. As a main result, we conclude that the use of BIM 4D and 5D improves the quality of projects, planning and survey of quantities and cost control, giving the most qualified information for supervisor of contracts and require the fulfilment of the contract by the contractor and therefore improving the performance of the supervision.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 293 people lost their life from 2008-2012 in the field of Facility Management (FM). In that same timeframe, private employers recorded 98,420 cases of occupational injuries and illness, with 26,190 cases requiring a minimum of 31 days away from work. Workers in this field are at constant risk of electrical shock, falls, crushing, cuts, and bruises and as a result, have a much higher rate of injury and illness than the national average. Case study analysis confirms that many of the recorded accidents could have been avoided had the victim followed appropriate hazard mitigation steps to safely execute a facility repair and maintenance task, defined in this research as safety protocol. Currently, safety related information is conveyed to FM staff through training seminars, OandM manuals, plans and specifications, database storage, safety meetings, and safety literature. This information, although comprehensive, often remains fragmented among multiple resources and is left up to the worker's discretion whether the information is relevant. Research has shown that the more time and effort, known as inconvenience, an individual must spend obtaining information, the less likely they are to retrieve the information and obey the stated warnings. This research focuses on the identification, categorization, transference, and delivery of safety related information applicable to facility management staff. This is executed by, obtaining safety inputs through various mechanisms of data collection, categorizing the safety inputs, transferring the information utilizing existing BIM-based software and research methods into a data storage repository, and designing a data retrieval and processing system (DRPS), integrated into the repository to interact with the data. The DRPS adds structure and relationships through a UML Class Diagram and Sequence Diagram. Additionally, standardized safety properties are developed for asset groups using the Asset Safety Identification Tool (ASIT). Finally, a conceptual graphical user interface (GUI) is developed to represent the interaction between the DRPS and the FM Worker. By combining the DRPS with a GUI, a FM worker can efficiently interact with a singular repository for safety information, eliminating the need to reference multiple resources in order to obtain comprehensive safety information. The goal of this research is to mitigate the fragmentation and timing inefficiencies within safety related information retrieval by developing a BIM-based framework to categorize, consolidate, and deliver job specific safety information, eliminating the need to reference multiple documents in order to develop a comprehensive, task specific safety plan. / Ph. D. / According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 293 people lost their life from 2008-2012 in the field of Facility Management (FM). In that same timeframe, private employers recorded 98,420 cases of occupational injuries and illness, with 26,190 cases requiring a minimum of 31 days away from work. Workers in this field are at constant risk of electrical shock, falls, crushing, cuts, and bruises and as a result, have a much higher rate of injury and illness than the national average. Data analysis confirms that many of the recorded accidents could have been avoided had the victim followed appropriate hazard mitigation steps to safely execute a facility repair and maintenance task. Currently, safety related information is conveyed to FM staff through training seminars, operations & maintenance manuals, plans & specifications, virtual training, safety meetings, and safety literature. This information, although comprehensive, often remains fragmented among multiple resources and is left up to the worker’s discretion whether the information is relevant. Research has shown that the more time and effort an individual must spend obtaining information, the less likely they are to retrieve the information and obey the stated warnings. This research focuses on the identification, categorization, transference, and delivery of safety related information applicable to FM staff. This is executed by, obtaining safety inputs (categorized information) through various mechanisms of data collection, organizing the safety inputs, transferring the information utilizing existing engineering software and research methods into a computer based data storage repository, and designing a data retrieval and processing system (DRPS), integrated into the data storage repository to interact with the data. The DRPS adds structure and relationships through computer programming, using a Unified Modeling Language (UML) Class Diagram and Sequence Diagram. Additionally, standardized safety properties are developed for FM assets (operations equipment) using the Asset Safety Identification Tool (ASIT). Finally, a conceptual computer interface (GUI) is developed to represent the interaction between the DRPS and FM Worker. By combining the DRPS with a GUI, a FM worker can efficiently interact with a singular repository for safety information, eliminating the need to reference multiple resources in order to obtain comprehensive safety information. The goal of this research is to mitigate the fragmentation and timing inefficiencies with retrieving safety information by developing a computer based framework to categorize, consolidate, and deliver job specific safety information, eliminating the need to reference multiple documents in order to develop a comprehensive, task specific safety plan.

Según estudios realizados por el Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática – INEI, en la región de Puno, en los censos de 1993 y 2007 existe un crecimiento demográfico emigrante de las zonas rurales a la zona urbana, de la ciudad de Juliaca, gran parte de esta población pertenece al sector socioeconómico “C”; por lo que la demanda de la adquisición de la vivienda propia que sea de bajo costo y además cumpla con las necesidades básica que se incrementaron para dicha población. El objetivo de esta tesis consiste en el desarrollo y utilización de nuevas tecnologías de gestión como es el uso del BIM (Building Information Modeling) y el Lean Construction para el desarrollo de una vivienda unifamiliar en la ciudad de Juliaca, como así también la implementación del uso de materiales y técnicas de construcción novedosos tales como son los prefabricados de concreto; con estas nuevas tendencias de construcción y gestión se procura aminorar los costos y tener la posibilidad de adquirir la vivienda propia para este sector de la población. Dentro de este estudio se establece que los prefabricados a utilizarse en este proceso constructivo de la vivienda serán los paneles tipo Sándwich y las prelosas, las cuales son comparadas con el sistema tradicional que corresponde a un sistema aporticado que es usado mayormente en la ciudad de Juliaca. / According to some statistical studies by Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática – INEI, in the region of Puno, performed in the 1993 and 2007 Census; there is increasing of immigrant population who belong to the "C" socioeconomical sector; for which low-cost own housing that meets the requirements of this population has shown a strong growth. The aim of this thesis consists in developing and use of new technologies of management in building, as the usage of BIM (Building Informatio Modeling), and Lean Construction in order to get a single-family house built in the city of Juliaca, as well as the implementation of the use of new materials and new construction techniques, as pre-fabricated concrete construction products; with these new construction and management trends, we seek to lower costs and to get the possibility to obtain own housing for this sector of the population. Pre-fabricated construction products to be used in this process of building of houses will be Sandwich panels and floor plates, which will be compared with the traditional building breached system used mostly used in the city of Juliaca. / Trabajo de investigación

Cette recherche a pour but de répondre à deux impératifs : travailler pour un secteur d’activité porteur économiquement, mais peu étudié scientifiquement : le domaine de la Rénovation, et proposer aux acteurs de ce secteur des outils d’accompagnement forts pour leur permettre de réussir leur transition numérique, enjeu majeur du XXIe siècle. L’état de l’art initial a démontré que, dans un contexte lié à la diffusion d’un Système d’Information tel que le BIM, il était indispensable de s’appuyer sur des leviers contribuant à son implantation : les Facteurs Clés de Succès, les fondamentaux du management de projet, la rédaction de Conventions BIM, l’Approche Intégrée de Projet et enfin les Modèles de Maturité. Pour s’assurer de l’adéquation entre ces différents leviers et les spécificités de la Rénovation, une enquête a été réalisée auprès d’un panel représentatif des petites entreprises qui le composent majoritairement. Elle a permis de confirmer l’état peu avancé de ce secteur dans la transition numérique en raison de la taille des structures elles-mêmes et de situations économiques réduisant souvent l’horizon de projection. Les acteurs ne sont, par ailleurs, pas toujours conscients de la nécessité du changement (se satisfaisant généralement de la 2D et de procédés artisanaux) et sont donc peu enclins à investir dans des solutions numériques telles que le BIM. En dépit des réticences qui ont pu être exprimées, la plupart des acteurs ont toutefois bien conscience que pour tirer parti de la transition au lieu de la subir, il faut qu’ils puissent être dotés d’outils d’accompagnement spécifiques à leurs usages et pratiques. Un référentiel permettant de mesurer leur maturité et ensuite de définir de façon réaliste leurs propres objectifs de développement : « BIM Maturity Model For Renovation » ou BiM²FR a donc été conçu. Le format choisi et la simplicité voulue de mise en œuvre devraient permettre aux petites entreprises de facilement caractériser leur situation et d’identifier leurs points faibles et forts, puis d’élaborer les grandes lignes de plans d'action individuels et appropriés à leurs activités. Les facteurs clés de succès étudiés et intégrés en filigrane dans le BiM²FR sont les marqueurs et gages de succès qui permettront aux entreprises de progresser au cours de la mise en œuvre du BIM. Pour élargir la portée de ce travail, une interface WEB libre permettant aux entreprises d’effectuer leur diagnostic de maturité BIM, a été développée. Le site www.BiM2FR.eu, outre l’aide qu’il peut apporter aux entreprises, offre, par l’intermédiaire des données collectées et échangées, un grand nombre de perspectives de recherches. / This research aims to answer two imperatives: 1) promote an economically promising sector, Renovation, that has not been subject to much scientific study; and 2) offer companies in this sector useful tools to help them succeed in their digital transition, a major challenge of the 21st century. When it comes to disseminating an Information System such as BIM, it is essential to use levers that enhance its implementation: the Critical Success Factor, fundamentals of Project Management, drafting BIM Execution Plans, an Integrated Project Delivery approach and Maturity Models. To ensure the right fit between these different levers and the specific needs of the Renovation segment, we conducted a survey with a representative panel of small enterprises, predominant in this sector. This survey confirmed that the sector is still in the early days of digital transition due to the small size of companies and economic situations that often reduce visibility and the ability to make long-term investment decisions. Small renovation firms are not always aware of the need for change (they are generally satisfied with 2D drawings and artisanal processes) and are therefore reluctant to invest in digital solutions such as BIM. In spite of this, most stakeholders are aware that in order to benefit from the transition or risk being left behind, they must find support in tools specific to their uses and practices. To measure their maturity and then realistically define their own development objectives, we therefore developed a "BIM Maturity Model for Renovation" or BiM²FR. The format and ease of implementation should enable small enterprises to identify their situation, emphasize their strengths and weaknesses, and then outline individual action plans suited to their activities. The Critical Success Factors analyzed and presented within BiM²FR should guarantee successful progress as companies implement BIM. In order to broaden the scope of this work, we created a free web interface for companies to make their own BIM maturity diagnosis. The site www.BiM2FR.eu, in addition to helping these companies, offers us, through the data collected and exchanged, a large number of research opportunities.

The construction industry faces numerous challenges, such as schedule delays, cost overruns, and rework, which can impact project success and profitability. The key motivation for this report is to explore and understand the potential benefits and implications of integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) functionalities with the Last Planner System (LPS). This report consists of a systematic literature review (SLR) addressing the influence that the interaction of the LPS and BIM has in the production process. Firstly, bibliometric analysis was done on the results of the SLR, and the content of the literature papers was analyzed adopting the aspects oflean construction in combination with qualitative content analysis to identify the BIM functionalities, the relevant lean construction aspects, and the influence the interaction has on the relevant lean construction aspects. Based on the contents of the literature papers, certain BIM functionalities such as model and schedule visualization, quantity take-off, and clash detection interact with the LPS. The aspects of lean construction that are influenced by the interaction include waste minimization, continuous improvement, improved collaboration, and workflow visualization. Researchers show that the interaction of LPS and certain BIM functionalities has reduced delays, cost overruns, project collaboration, remote meetings, and better project understanding and planning reliability.The findings of the report provide insights for construction industry professionals to enhance project planning, coordination, and execution. The report shows that current attempts for a complete interaction are yet to be researched, with parallel applications and inadequacy in BIM functionalities. A sound conceptual model for interaction is yet to be researched. Many researchers and construction actors may use this report to find existing content on this topic and find the motivation to interact with the BIM functionalities and LPS in a proposed or existing production process. / Byggindustrin står inför många utmaningar, såsom tidsplaneförskjutningar, kostnadsöverskridelser och omarbetning, vilket kan påverka projektets framgång och lönsamhet. Den huvudsakliga motivationen för denna rapport är att utforska och förstå de potentiella fördelarna och konsekvenserna av att integrera Byggnadsinformationsmodellering (BIM) med Last Planner System (LPS). Denna rapport består av en systematisk litteraturöversikt (SLR) som tar upp hur interaktionen mellan LPS och BIM påverkar produktionsprocessen. Först gjordes en bibliometrisk analys av SLR-resultaten, och innehållet i litteraturartiklarna analyserades med utgångspunkt i aspekter av lean construction kombinerat med kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att identifiera BIM-funktionaliteter, de relevanta lean construction-aspekterna och vilken inverkan interaktionen har på de relevanta lean construction-aspekterna. Baserat på innehållet i litteraturartiklarna interagerar vissa BIM-funktionaliteter, såsom modelloch tidsplanvisualisering, kvantitetsupptagning och kollisionskontroll, med LPS. De aspekter av lean construction som påverkas av interaktionen inkluderar minimering av slöseri, kontinuerlig förbättring, förbättrad samarbete och visualisering av arbetsflöde. Forskare visar att interaktionen mellan LPS och vissa BIM-funktionaliteter har minskat förseningar, kostnadsöverskridelser, projekt-samarbete, fjärrmöten och bättre projekt-förståelse och planeringspålitlighet. Rapportens resultat ger insikter för yrkesverksamma inom byggindustrin för att förbättra projektplanering, samordning och genomförande. Rapporten visar att nuvarande försök till en fullständig interaktion ännu inte har forskats kring, med parallella tillämpningar och brister i BIM-funktionaliteter. En robust konceptuell modell för interaktion måste fortfarande utforskas. Många forskare och aktörer inom byggindustrin kan använda denna rapport för att hitta befintligt innehåll om detta ämne och hitta motivationen att interagera med BIM-funktionaliteter och LPS i en föreslagen eller befintlig produktionsprocess.

Building information modelling (BIM) has been discussed as the most prominent tool for bringing advancement in the construction industry. BIM provides a platform to integrate multiple disciplinary such as structural design, architectural design, MEP details and many more into one model, known as the BIM model. During the course of this work it was noticed that there is a spike in developing new methodologies for efficient energy calculation of buildings, but these methodologies are still based on the manual procedure. Example of such methodology is the upcoming EU parameter known as Smart readiness indicator (SRI). Therefore, an aim has been made by the author to propose automation of such energy calculation methodology aided by BIM technology.For this thesis work, a pre-existing Revit based BIM model was selected and structurally modified as per the requirements. Then, the smart services from the SRI calculation method were assigned to the Revit model. Later with the help of Dynamo (i.e. Revit plugin), a script was created to extract smart services information from the Revit model and forward it into MS-Excel file to obtain final SRI score. It was found that results obtain through manual calculation and method proposed by the author were the same. Hence, it is concluded that the automation of new energy certification scheme SRI is possible. / Building information modelling (BIM) har diskuterats som det mest framstående verktyget för att få framsteg inom byggbranschen. BIM tillhandahåller en plattform för att integrera flera discipliner som strukturell design, arkitektonisk design, MEP-detaljer och många fler i en modell, känd som BIM-modellen. Under detta arbete märktes det att det utvecklas nya metoder för effektiv energiberäkning av byggnader, men dessa metoder bygger fortfarande på den manuella proceduren. Exempel på en sådan metod är den kommande EU-parametern som kallas Smart readiness indicator (SRI). Därför har ett syfte gjorts av författaren att föreslå automatisering av sådan energiberäkningsmetod med hjälp av BIM-teknik.För detta uppsatsarbete valdes en redan existerande Revit-baserad BIM-modell och strukturellt modifierad enligt kraven. Sedan tilldelades smarta tjänster från SRI-beräkningsmetoden Revit-modellen. Senare med hjälp av Dynamo (dvs. Revit-plugin) skapades ett manus för att extrahera information om smarta tjänster från Revit-modellen och vidarebefordra den till MS-Excel-filen för att få slutlig SRI-poäng. Det visade sig att resultaten som erhölls genom manuell beräkning och metod som föreslås av författaren var desamma. Därför dras slutsatsen att automatisering av det nya energicertifieringssystemet SRI är möjligt.

<p>Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is a process that is quickly changing the way Architectural, Engineering, and Construction companies manage construction projects. Being a company specific process, only parts of the process have been accepted as a standardized method across every company. Those components that are not standardized have become proprietary to each specific company. The goal of the research is to provide a rich and complete description of the use of BIM across multiple Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) companies in order to inform and integrate BIM into construction graphics and management curricula in higher education. The literature review generated a thorough understanding of BIM standards currently identified. The methodology, a comparison of BIM theory to industrial practices, provided a broader picture of all aspects of BIM being utilized in current AEC companies. The results identified a comparison of all aspects of BIM to current AEC practices and paints a well-defined picture of what is being accomplished with BIM within company construction processes across AEC companies that are classified into several categories. BIM practices within each company indicate similarities and differences that give a rich BIM description across the entire AEC industry. The results suggest a high usage of BIM across more areas than just construction of the building branching out to all areas within a set of construction documents for project management. </p>

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has entered the construction industry and has permeated the commercial sector. Research is continually performed to expand the capabilities and applications within the industry. However, research has historically been mostly limited to the commercial sector and has seen little expansion to other sectors of the industry including the residential sector. The potential cause for this may be the limited number of industry professionals who utilize the software to the benefit of their companies. The focus of this study was specifically the custom home building sector of residential construction in the United States because of the unique and potentially complex nature of each project. The study was performed using a Delphi Panel, which utilizes a panel of experts to reach a consensus on a given subject. In this study, the goal was to reach a consensus on the most common uses challenges and benefits of BIM within the residential sector. In the first questionnaires, the experts were asked to identify, with a series of demographic questions including the number of employees in their company, the number of homes they build each year, and the average sale price of each home. Each expert's responses to the demographic questions were cross-referenced with the responses concerning uses, benefits, and challenges to provide other industry members wishing to implement with relatable demographic references to compare with their own company demographics. The experts then identified how they used BIM, what benefits they had seen, and any challenges they faced. The uses, benefits, and challenges identified in this questionnaire were ranked in the following questionnaire to identify the most common uses, greatest benefits, and greatest challenges.The top uses identified by this expert panel were design and visualization, the creation of construction documents, and quantity take-offs. The most common benefits identified by this panel were client visualization, plan accuracy, improved client communication, and ease of plan revisions. The most common challenges identified by this panel were high software costs, the steep learning curve when training employees, and the time-consuming nature of creating and maintain models correctly.

abstract: As a term and method that is rapidly gaining popularity, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is under the scrutiny of many building professionals questioning its potential benefits on their projects. A relevant and accepted calculation methodology and baseline to properly evaluate BIM's benefits have not been established, thus there are mixed perspectives and opinions of the benefits of BIM, creating a general misunderstanding of the expected outcomes. The purpose of this thesis was to develop a more complete methodology to analyze the benefits of BIM, apply recent projects to this methodology to quantify outcomes, resulting in a more a holistic framework of BIM and its impacts on project efficiency. From the literature, a framework calculation model to determine the value of BIM is developed and presented. The developed model is applied via case studies within a large industrial setting where similar projects are evaluated, some implementing BIM and some with traditional non-BIM approaches. Cost or investment metrics were considered along with benefit or return metrics. The return metrics were: requests for information, change orders, and duration improvements. The investment metrics were: design and construction costs. The methodology was tested against three separate cases and results on the returns and investments are presented. The findings indicate that in the tool installation department of semiconductor manufacturing, there is a high potential for BIM benefits to be realized. The evidence also suggests that actual returns and investments will vary with each project. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Construction 2011