Analysis of BIM use for asset management in three public organizations in Québec, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maude Brunet ◽  
Ali Motamedi ◽  
Louis-Martin Guénette ◽  
Daniel Forgues

Purpose Given the ongoing digital transformation, building information modeling (BIM) has great potential to create a collaborative environment in the whole lifecycle of the built asset, from inception to decommissioning. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper relates current developments in Québec with regard to the use of BIM for asset management (AM). The steps taken by three public organizations to develop their capabilities and take advantage of new possibilities are presented. The main methodological approach is based on participant observation, through case studies complemented by a questionnaire. Findings This paper reports on results and analysis of an important module of a broader research project on the impact of new technologies and collaborative methods for projects and AM. The results of this first research module points to the importance of using pilot projects to develop a continuous improvement approach, where feedback loops from projects support the development of AM capabilities and culture. Another important finding is the importance of sharing experience for the three public organizations involved. Originality/value The main contributions of this paper are to document this overarching research program and to gain deeper insights by reflexively considering the steps taken and the ones ahead for the quest to enhance the transfer of information for built assets at the end of projects to the operations and maintenance phase and to use BIM for operation.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Piedade Silva ◽  
Rita Martins de Sousa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study how budgetary constraints can have ethical implications on patient treatment options. Design/methodology/approach By applying a qualitative methodological approach (interviews) and participant observation, this paper studies the behaviour of surgeons in scenarios of financial restriction. Findings The empirical findings show that despite the conflict between the economy and the leges artis, surgeons maintain the ethical and deontological principles of their profession with fair rules of orientation. Practical implications The importance of this study can be realised by its continuity. One of the authors is already implicated on a wider research to investigate the influence of the economic scarcity of resources on general surgeons’ ethical behaviours. Social implications This paper is a contribution to understanding the rules that restrain the activities of surgeons. Politicians sometimes do not have a full understanding of the pressures that the medical profession faces in their day-to-day activities. Currently, with the addition of problems relate to COVID-19, politicians and populations seem to better understand the importance of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), This paper hopes that this understanding will be not only a conjectural moment. Originality/value In conjunction with the economic recession that began in the first decade of this century, health institutions have long faced budgetary constraints that condition their material and human resources and correspondingly shape the scope of health professional activities. Until now, it has not been studied the impact of economic crises on the ethical behaviour of Portuguese surgeons. Therefore, this research is a first step and a useful contribution to understanding the rules that can restrain (or not) the ethical conduct of these health professionals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1077-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaser Gamil ◽  
Ismail Abd Rahman Rahman

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the awareness of construction practitioners of the adoption of building information modeling (BIM) and identification of the dominant challenges of implementing BIM in the life cycle of a construction project. Design/methodology/approach This study was sequentially conducted in the following in three main phases: a preliminary study of archival literature, where a rigorous study of the literature was conducted to identify the challenges of adopting BIM in the construction industry which was to be applied later to the challenges in the case of the Yemen construction industry; data collection, where data were collected using a questionnaire survey targeting 123 Yemeni construction practitioners working in managerial and technical levels; and data analysis, where data were analyzed using descriptive analysis by calculating the average index and standard deviations. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software. Findings The results show that the most critical challenges to adopt BIM are financial restrictions, lack of BIM knowledge, improper introduction of BIM concepts, lack of awareness of BIM benefits and no governmental enforcement. The study recommends policymakers and construction players to consider the challenges for a better introduction of BIM in the Yemen construction industry. Research limitations/implications This research focuses on the awareness and challenges of implementing BIM in the Yemen construction industry. Practical implications The findings of this study will help policymakers develop more constructive strategies to reduce the challenges and introduce governmental agendas towards the widespread use of the BIM concept and technology in the Yemen construction industry. The study suggested an in-depth investigation into the current curriculum in the Yemen universities and recommended the introduction of BIM concept in engineering courses. Social implications This study focused on the challenges of implementing BIM and the role of the social aspect in the issue. Originality/value From the extensive review of previous findings, this paper concentrates on the challenged to the implementation of BIM in the Yemen construction industry. There are lack of investigative studies that focus on the introduction of new technologies to advance the Yemen construction sector. Therefore, the findings help the authority to diagnose and address the sources of these challenges and introduce new solutions to the industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Sulaiman ◽  
Mohammed Sulaiman ◽  
Hexu Liu ◽  
Mohamed Binalhaj ◽  
Maha Al-Kasasbeh ◽  
...  

Purpose Current facility management (FM) practices are inefficient and ineffective, partially because of missing information and communication issues. Information and communications technologies (ICT) are asserted to provide a promising solution for managing and operating facilities. However, the impact of ICT applications on current FM practices needs to be validated and the perception of FM professionals on ICT-based FM needs to be understood. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impacts and the perception of ICT application on FM practice and further develop an ICT-based integrated framework for smart FM practices. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the objective, the research starts with reviewing several promising ICT for FM, including building information modeling, geographic information systems, unmanned aerial vehicle and augmented reality. On this basis, a conceptional framework was synthesized in consideration of the benefits of each technology. A survey questionnaire to FM professionals was conducted to evaluate the proposed framework and identify the challenges of adopting ICT in the FM industry. Furthermore, return on investment and strength, weakness, opportunities and threats analysis have been used in this paper as evaluation methods for ICT industry adoption. Findings The survey results are validated by FM professionals for the future engagement of the integrated ICT applications. Also, the proposed framework can assist the decision-makers to have comprehensive information about facilities and systematize the communication among stakeholders. Originality/value This research provides an integrated framework for smart FM to improve decision-making, capitalizing on the ICT applications. Apart from this, the study sheds light on future research endeavors for other ICT applications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiwen Liu ◽  
Juma Hamisi Nzige ◽  
Kaijian Li

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discover the distribution and trends of existing Offsite construction (OSC) literature with an intention to highlight research niches and propose the future outline. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted literature reviews methodology involving 1,057 relevant documents published in 2008-2017 from 15 journals. The selected documents were empirically analyzed through a topic-modeling technique. A latent Dirichlet allocation model was applied to each document to infer 50 key topics. A machine learning for language toolkit was used to get topic posterior word distribution and word composition. Findings This is an exploratory study, which identifies the distribution of topics and themes; the trend of topics and themes; journal distribution trends; and comparative topic, themes and journal distribution trend. The distribution and trends show an increase in researcher’s interest and the journal’s priority on OSC research. Nevertheless, OSC existing literature is faced with; under-researched topics such as building information modeling, smart construction and marketing. The under-researched themes include organizational management, supply chain and context. The authors also found an overload of similar information in prefabrication and concrete topics. Furthermore, the innovative methods and constraints themes were found to be overloaded with similar information. Research limitations/implications The naming of the themes was based on our own interpretation; hence, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, a comparative study using different data processing is proposed. The study also provides future research outline as follows: studying OSC topics from dynamic evolution perspective and identifying the new emerging topics; searching for effective strategies to enhance OSC research; identifying the contribution of countries, affiliation and funding agency; and studying the impact of these themes to the adoption of OSC. Practical implications This study is of values to the scholars, as it could stimulate research to under-researched areas. Originality/value This paper justifies a need to have a broad understanding of the nature and structure of existing OSC literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kobra Gharouni Jafari ◽  
Nozhat Sadat Ghazi Sharyatpanahi ◽  
Esmatullah Noorzai

Purpose Prompt and effective responses to incompatibilities between as-designed and as-built drawings prevent cost and time overruns and material waste. This paper aims to provide an efficient framework to handle mismatches between these two models with the least negative impact on the whole project. Design/methodology/approach First, 11 most frequent mismatches were identified through questionnaires. Also, the respondents were asked to determine the mismatches’ roots and solutions and the impact of applying solutions on the whole project. Afterward, the process to present the optimum solution to one of these mismatches was modeled. After running the application programming interface developed in Navisworks software, decision-makers access a form, showing mismatches, their causes and solutions, as well as the solutions’ effect. To finalize the optimal solution, a platform was provided on whether to accept the system solution or to propose an alternative. Findings To empirically validate the reliability of the proposed framework, two projects were investigated. Two different approaches to dealing with the same mismatch occurred in these projects were compared in terms of time, cost and material required. The results showed that addressing the mismatches through the proposed framework can efficiently enhance time, cost and material consumption, in comparison with the traditional approach. Originality/value There is currently no building information modeling-based holistic framework for managing mismatches between as-designed and as-built drawings. The results of this research can help contractors to make the best decision, saving project resources, when setting about a mismatch during construction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1518-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Chen ◽  
Weisheng Lu

Purpose How to make an effective use of building information modeling (BIM) for information management (IM) is a challenging question in the field of construction project and asset management. Chen et al. (2015) answered this question by developing a conceptual framework of “bridging BIM and building (BBB).” However, the underlying mechanism through which BBB can truly impact IM remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is thus to demystify the mechanism linking BBB and IM. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the IM literature, this paper proposes three IM requirements, namely, requirements on information quantity, quality and accessibility, as the significant mediators between BBB and IM. To verify this proposition, a two-year, participatory case study was conducted based on a real-life construction project in which a BBB system was implemented. Findings The results of the case study supported the proposition that by enhancing the information quantity, quality and accessibility BBB could favorably contribute to IM in construction. Practical implications This paper provides knowledge about system architecture, components and their linkage in an operable BBB system. It also provides empirical experience about BBB implementation. Originality/value This study is among the first attempts to streamline the theoretical discourses relating to BBB for IM in a construction context. It contributes to the construction IM by directing attention to key IM requirements and processes rooted in the IM literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1855-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akbar Marefat ◽  
Hossein Toosi ◽  
Reza Mahmoudi Hasankhanlo

Purpose Construction industry bears a lot of casualties and accidents more than other high-risk industries annually. Thus, the use of new technologies such, as building information modeling, automatic rule checking, information technology-based safety systems in order to implement the rules and safety standards, better controls the performance of workers on site and make high coordination between operational executives, leading to create a secure environment in projects by reducing accidents. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, a researcher-designed questionnaire was distributed among 200 companies that are active in the field of construction to evaluate the effect of building information model (BIM) for safety projects and barriers to adoption. Only 70 percent of questionnaires were returned. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences analysis has been used to determine the correlation coefficient among the respondents. Findings The results show the factors that lead to failure in the adoption of BIM in Iran are lack of well-trained personnel, proper social infrastructure, guidance and governmental supports. Originality/value Finally, the authors presented solutions for overcoming barriers and proposed some factors leading to the successful adoption of BIM in Iran.


2019 ◽  
Vol 277 ◽  
pp. 02022
Author(s):  
Michal FALTEJSEK ◽  
Blanka CHUDIKOVA

BIM is a concept and also a method currently applied throughout the world in the modern building construction. The impact and benefits of the BIM method are clear across all stages of the life cycle of buildings (project, realization, operation, demolition). The longest and most expensive phase of buildings life is the operation and usage part. Many common aspects and linkage of processes between the BIM method and the facility management, i.e. a modern asset management method, can provide greater efficiency for these activities, help reduce the cost of required building operations and maintenance and save time for individual activities. The BIM can be understood as an information management of buildings. Many common elements can create a synergy of processes related to the management of buildings. The article discusses these aspects and emphasizes the listing of the basic data and processes that are necessary for mutual interconnectedness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Koosha Wafaei Baneh ◽  
Bira Wafaei Baneh ◽  
Ashraf Osman ◽  
Omid Mostafapour ◽  
Zidan Rasheed Bradosty

PurposeDue to the weaknesses of the traditional methods and advances in science, using currently new technologies such as building information modeling (BIM) for the restoration and revival of historical monuments is considered a novel solution. This study addresses how computer science in BIM can contribute significantly to the restoration and improvement of the cultural heritage.Design/methodology/approachThis study addresses how computer science in BIM can contribute significantly to the restoration and improvement of the cultural heritage.FindingsAlso, it assesses through this application, the capabilities of current software's in developing with the use of photogrammetry an accurate geometrical models for the minaret with its elements are linked to databases carrying information related to the minaret texture, historical identity and decoration. Finally, it shows the importance of this model to support experts in case of future restoration and conservation to the minaret.Originality/valueThe research describes the process of regenerating and documenting the motifs of the historical Choli minaret in Erbil. It explains the steps followed for full application of the historical buildings information modeling (HBIM) to this minaret.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-245
Author(s):  
Soojung Kim ◽  
Erik A. Poirier ◽  
Sheryl Staub-French

Purpose As the use of building information modeling (BIM) for facilities management (FM) continues to grow, questions remain around the quality and completeness of digital assets to support FM practices. This paper aims to examine the current gap between digital and physical assets in the absence of formal information requirements and its impact on the handover process. Design/methodology/approach An action-research was carried out with a large public organization to understand the challenges of their current FM processes and the steps required in developing an asset information model (AIM) from a project information model (PIM). A mixed method approach was employed with interviews, document analysis and an exploratory pilot case study. Findings This paper investigates the process, the challenges and the level of effort of the information commissioning process to create a fit-for-use AIM. Four distinct steps were identified in the process as follows: analyzing the handover PIM and documents, extracting FM-specific information, populating the model with the information and attaching operations and maintenance (O&M) documents. The research highlights the significant amount of effort that is required when no specific asset information requirements are formulated at the project onset. Practical implications The paper presents an information commissioning process that helps to develop an AIM from a PIM. Understanding the impact of the lack of requirements on the information commissioning process can help asset owners understand the importance of defining and articulating their information requirements up front. Originality/value This paper provides empirical evidence of the impact of the absence of formal information requirements on the development of a fit-for-use AIM.


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