The objective of this research report was to evaluate the business case for lifecycle BIM for infrastructure projects in the United States by analyzing and quantifying how adopting enterprise-wide BIM systems can provide increased agency efficiencies and foster advanced, comprehensive lifecycle management of enterprise assets. The data for this research was gathered using domestic and international examples, with the findings targeted for the U.S. market and transportation agency stakeholders.
From a National Academy of Sciences report by Alexa Mitchell, et al.
BIM is one of the most promising developments in the architecture, engineering, and construction
(AEC) industry and has been used for planning, design, construction, and operation of many types of
facilities. BIM can help stakeholders visualize what will be built in a simulated environment to identify
potential design, construction, or operation issues. BIM offers the potential to decrease project cost,
increase productivity and quality, and reduce project delivery time.
BIM has been a beneficial project delivery approach in the building industry, where the practice
originated. The technology to support BIM in civil infrastructure is certainly available, and consensus
within the industry is that BIM for Infrastructure is a good idea; why then do state departments of
transportation (DOTs) continue to struggle to implement BIM as a standard practice? The answer lies in
the complexity and perceived cost to move an organization forward. In a world of dwindling public funds,
it is difficult to invest in all initiatives while also maintaining a large and deteriorating transportation
infrastructure. Thus, gaining executive support to invest in BIM deployment is unlikely without a robust
business case that demonstrates its value.
As a new technology, BIM cost issues are a great concern for owners making decisions. However, no
comprehensive or systematic evaluation of costs and benefits has been performed outside of vertical
construction or isolated use cases. There is a strong and timely need for a solid framework for
determining a repeatable approach to calculating the ROI for adopting BIM for Infrastructure and
strategies for a strong business case.
The TFRS-02 study explored the costs and benefits of using BIM through documented literature and
anecdotal accounts of pilot projects in the United States and internationally. This information will be used
to answer the following questions:
Can the benefits of BIM be quantified?
Are the benefits of BIM substantial enough to justify the investment of implementation?
What is the cost of doing nothing?
How do we realize the maximum benefit of BIM?
For the complete report on lifecycle BIM CLICK HERE.
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