Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a driving force for digital transformation in construction today and has been on a steep adoption curve.
Its potential as a ‘live’ digital basis for collective design, building and ongoing maintenance is now recognised throughout the industry, with pioneering UK standards adopted as the ISO international measure of quality.
The next step for BIM is to widen its usage, and a key part of this will be promoting awareness of its broader benefits – from enabling energy efficiency and indoor environment quality improvements, to fostering project collaboration, supporting carbon and waste reduction, enhancing facilities management and improving procurement.
BIM’s ultimate success will depend upon its ability to create a perfect digital twin, and this will involve all parts of the construction ecosystem, including manufacturers, providing digital versions of their products. Only at this point will BIM become an embedded, automatic part of construction.
This whitepaper assesses BIM’s progress and projects its future trajectory, including:
• BIM’s adoption path so far
• How it’s delivering on its key promises
• Current development areas
“The end destination is BIM being the only way of working that everyone doesn’t think twice about using. It’ll be a meeting point, a collaboration
tool and the key to efficient and sustainable construction.” Adam Salt, Design Engineer & BIM Co-Ordinator, Wavin
What is BIM?
BIM is fundamentally about collaborative working, centred around an intelligent software modelling process. This enables users to create a digital representation (or ‘digital twin’) of a construction project that contains and manages information about the asset’s entire life cycle. Such projects include accurate 3D models, data and detailed descriptions about every aspect or component – such as product, execution and handover information - delivering a reliable basis for real-world decision making. This single model helps facilitate and streamline the design, construction and operation processes. For example, a range of intelligent design features such as automatic routing preferences intelligently assist BIM software users to build whole sections of their models quickly and easily.
Today, 71% of construction professionals say they have adopted BIM and another quarter have yet to do so but plan to within the next 5 years.
The next evolution of construction design
BIM moves beyond Computer Aided Design (CAD) to create an immersive, 3D way of working that simulates its real-life twin as accurately as possible. BIM overcomes the main drawback of traditional CAD: the fact that multiple disciplines across the construction process work on their project sections separately and then try to coordinate them before or during the construction phase. Inside a single BIM project, every discipline works longside each other from a central model, using a shared language via interoperable data. Collaboration and communication happens at each stage in real time, improving pre-planning by detecting clashes early on in the design phases. This ability to avoid problems later down the line unlocks cost savings, greater efficiencies, improved scheduling, as well as environmental benefits such as supporting ‘lean construction’ and reducing unnecessary waste.
After construction, BIM models exist alongside their physical twin’s lifecycle as a reliable ‘go to’ for accurate, evolving information that continues
to support cost, construction, project and facilities management.
“It’s a simple concept - everyone’s communicating, everyone’s collaborating and that will iron out any issues in the design phase. It’s essentially streamlining it, making sure everyone’s working from one central model to allow more efficiency and cost-savings.” Adam Salt, Design Engineer & BIM Co-Ordinator, Wavin
The origins of BIM
The concept of BIM emerged in the 1970s as a computer-based design alternative to pen and paper drawings. But it’s only since the early 2000s that BIM software has matured considerably and become more readily available to the majority of construction professionals.
Since then, it has steadily overtaken CAD as the preferred form of design technology because it facilitates far more seamless collaboration. If one
aspect of a BIM model is altered, it automatically changes all the other design layers inside, swiftly and cost-effectively. In 2002, building industry application developer AutoDesk purchased the Revit Technology Corporation, a private US developer that created design software. Together, they combined their model-based design capabilities and tools to create AutoDesk Revit. By 2017, 41% of construction professionals were using this software for their BIM designs.
The growth of BIM in the UK
In 2016, the UK Government’s 2011 Construction Strategy created the BIM level 2 mandate that requires government-procured construction projects to adopt fully collaborative 3D BIM. The scope included a wide range of projects, such as new build social housing developments, schools, hospitals and prisons.
The mandate highlighted potential cost savings over the full lifecycle of a building or infrastructure asset and vast improvements in efficiency during
the construction process as key drivers for the change. Over the last five years, this has encouraged a growing proportion of the UK construction industry to adopt BIM.
Setting the global standard
From 2018, the BS1192 British standards created by the mandate became the international ISO standards. Governments around the world are now accelerating BIM adoption in their own countries by introducing these requirements for their public works projects, infrastructure projects or projects defined by scale.
The goal is to remove barriers to collaborative working and competitive tendering across borders by establishing a universally defined standard for
the minimum requirements and best practice for the entire construction industry. Complying with these international standards can act as a passport for construction organisations to gain access into other international markets.
Driving industry ambitions
In its Construction Strategy 2025, the UK government states that it expects widespread BIM adoption to help the sector achieve a range of targets by 2025, including:
• a 33% cost reduction in the initial cost of construction and the whole life cost of built assets
• a 50% reduction in the overall time, from inception to completion, for newbuild and refurbished assets
• a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment.
Is BIM delivering on its key promises?
Last year’s NBS Digital Construction Report showed that BIM is now intrinsic to the working practices of a large proportion of the UK construction industry, where the vast majority of organisations are making significant strides towards greater digital transformation. Similarly, most professionals stated that their companies are working towards closely aligning themselves with the new ISO standards.
In comparison to the previous years’ reports, more professionals agreed that BIM has become the norm and, looking ahead, believe it has the greatest potential to transform the built environment for the better. But there is still a challenge to take BIM into all parts of the industry, as 5% of respondents stated they have ‘no intention’ of using BIM. Is this reluctance justified or do these professionals risk being left behind as the construction industry evolves?
A few years on from the BIM mandate and the launch of the UK Construction Strategy 2025, is BIM delivering on its key promises?
Promise check #1
Is BIM improving procurement?
With the right information management, BIM’s supply chain integration will improve forecasting and offer reliable transparency into product availability. BIM software updates in real-time, so if a product isn’t available at the manufacturer, it won’t show as available to use in the design
process. Drawing on this, ordering and costings can be scheduled and exported directly from the software for more accurate itineraries.
This is hugely valuable in a world that is increasingly affected by supply chain issues and shortages of raw materials. In fact, 49% of BIM
users agree they need more manufacturers to provide digital objects for their BIM software so that they can access this BIM benefit. In response, 78% of suppliers are either creating or releasing plug-ins that enable users to incorporate the majority of products from their catalogue into their models. Using exact, real-world specifications, these products are extremely accurate. This means that if it’s incompatible inside the model, organisations know it won’t be compatible in a physical construction setting
“Smaller organisations who largely work on small scale or domestic projects are less inclined to adopt BIM because they feel they can’t justify their returns on investment after training and investment costs. Yet really, they’re only delaying the inevitable. Our main hope is that, like other technologies in the past, barriers to entry like cost and training will lessen in the coming years.” Shaun Shortland, Revit Technician at KP Evans & Co Ltd
BIM makes life a lot easier to release purchase orders. Generally, we work floor by floor. So, if our entire first floor is designed and scheduled out, then our procurement teams and finance teams can purchase those items with confidence. They know that the items will be used and the amounts we’ve specified are exact.” Daniel Acton, Digital Design Technician (MEP), Berkeley Modular
Promise check #2
Is BIM enabling energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality improvements?
Residential and commercial buildings consume approximately 60% of the world’s electricity. But, because BIM models are able to realistically estimate the mechanical, electrical and plumbing performance of a building, 75% of BIM users agree that it’s already having a positive impact on
environmental sustainability.
BIM’s emphasis on exact quantities and measurements means the information can be used confidently to plan and build more efficiently and to optimise indoor environmental quality. Modelling data using contextual conditions helps designers take into account natural lighting, geographic
climate and weather conditions or even building occupancy to reduce electricity over-consumption.
Some BIM providers are now offering integrated Building Energy Modelling (BEM) or standalone BEM applications. These help predict energy demand, indoor environmental quality, emissions and the payback period on energy saving measures. For example, recently in Brussels, the
3E Headquarters used a model-predictive method to reduce energy costs by more than 30% while still providing thermal comfort to its occupants.
“Because everything’s produced to the nearest millimetre’s tolerance, you definitely get a lot more out of each space. As long as things are created to their actual real-life measurements, there’s no doubt it will give you more space and quality of space. What you get outcome wise is very efficient. With BIM, the biggest word is efficiency.” Daniel Acton, Digital Design Technician (MEP), Berkeley Modular
Promise check #3
Is BIM supporting carbon and waste reduction?
Waste is a huge problem for the construction industry. Back in 2014, DEFRA calculated that the UK generated 202.8 million tonnes of waste,
with construction, demolition and excavation responsible for 59%.
The EU BIM Task Group has highlighted how BIM benefits projects with more accurate material ordering that leads to less waste going to landfill
and reductions in unnecessary restocking. Estimates show that up to 80% of construction waste and a third of concrete usage can be avoided through BIM’s pre-construction methods like prefabrication and recycling.
BIM’s accurate visualisation for all parties allows for important opportunities to minimise waste. For example, detecting future conflicts at early stages of the project will reduce the likelihood of unnecessary reworking or alterations mid or post-construction. Whole-life modelling also helps designers gather and use data across multiple buildings to reduce the whole-life carbon usage of the overall project. There are also a growing number of digital
databases in development covering the environmental impacts of the building materials and components incorporated into BIM.
“With BIM everything is quantified exactly up front. You can therefore be more efficient with the build phase and that plays directly into sustainability. It has a knock-on effect on your overall carbon footprint because you have fewer vehicles going to site to deliver, less repeat ordering and, as a result,
noticeably less wastage.” Adam Salt, Design Engineer & BIM Co-Ordinator, Wavin
Promise check #4
Is BIM enhancing facilities management?
85% of the total lifecycle costs of a building occur after construction is completed. BIM allows for the management of information throughout the asset’s entire life cycle, so can support the ongoing management and maintenance of facilities, as well as providing information to support future modifications, extensions or improvements. For facility managers, access to BIM metadata can enhance their routine management and preventive maintenance of the building across fabric, heating systems, mechanical and electrical engineering works, fire detection systems and evacuation plans. As a result, 74% of BIM users agree that it’s helping to create a safer built environment. BIM can also help with reactive or corrective maintenance, in response to a cause of failure or break down.
Today, a growing number of smart buildings are relying on digital Building Management Systems (BMS) to proactively manage, and even automate,
their maintenance. Already, data from BIM models is being used to feed into their BMS to improve performance.
“Following construction, the facilities manager or client can have complete ownership of the BIM model. So, if there are any issues, like if a window needs fixing or a drainage pipe is leaking, they can then pull up the model and look at all the data on that piece and work out the best way to rectify it or replace it.” Adam Salt, Design Engineer & BIM Co-Ordinator, Wavin
Promise check #5
Is BIM improving project collaboration?
A key success factor for a BIM project is the degree to which all the parties involved are able to effectively collaborate and communicate.
Although BIM is designed to encourage a more collaborative way of working, it needs to be implemented properly if true collaboration is to
be achieved. The ideal is that all stakeholders are consulted during every stage of the project and all data is stored inside the one access
point – the model.
Enabling each trade or discipline to update models in real-time eliminates setbacks, errors and disruptions on-site. However, the collaborative spirit that drives this still needs to be actively encouraged by project managers advocating for open information sharing and open discussions about each iteration.
“BIM is the best kind of collaboration tool you can have – it’s second to none. We’ve barely touched the sides of what you’re able to do with it. In most of our Revit models we can have five or six people working on it simultaneously.” Daniel Acton, Digital Design Technician (MEP), Berkeley Modular
Promise check #6
Is BIM supporting construction management?
BIM supports construction managers in a variety of areas, particularly when projects or site conditions are complex. The software is able to take onboard and plan for additional factors such as site logistics. It can support planning for temporary structures or storage, large machinery like cranes, site access points and temporary roads or on-site office facilities. Inside each 3D model, costings and quantities can be calculated simultaneously and exported for tendering. If necessary, construction phases can be simulated virtually to determine the optimum sequence for building.
BIM is now increasingly the design method of choice for modular construction projects because designs can inform off-site construction or the pre-fabrication of components, particularly when data or software is directly compatible with manufacturing tools. This can drive increased efficiency in the construction process and can create cost saving opportunities.
“With BIM, you shouldn’t have problems on-site as everybody should be using it, from the ground workers up. It brings a lot of trades together because you have to talk to everyone, and you have to share projects with each other – everything is collaborative.” Adam Salt, Design Engineer & BIM Co-Ordinator, Wavin
The NBS found that 72% of BIM users and 64% of those yet to adopt say that BIM significantly reduces the likelihood of problems on projects such as time delays, disputes or cost overruns.
What's next for BIM?
Today, new BIM technology continues to enter the global market and the volume of use cases is increasing rapidly. As the industry continues to develop, we see three main developments in BIM in the near future:
1. new innovations feeding into the evolution of BIM practices
2. a renewed focus on training
3. a review of handover documents
“I think the future will be groundworkers on site with their own handheld devices and the 3D BIM model there in their hands. We just need the investment in technology and skills to get to that stage.” Shaun Shortland, CAD/Revit Technician, KP Evans & Co Ltd
1. Pivotable innovations in BIM
Artificial intelligence (AI)
AI and machine learning will fuel predictive modelling by analysing and learning from the growing volume of historical data from previous projects. Increasingly, machine learning and AI-powered computer vision will be used to enhance on-site safety, through the visual analysis of models that identify risks early and recommend safety measures before work even begins.
Cloud computing
More construction organisations will store their data and applications in the cloud, and this will accelerate a range of advantages for BIM users, particularly on the collaboration side. On-site, workers will be able to access designs on mobile devices, and architects and engineers will be able to access their models from anywhere in the world.
On and off-site virtual reality (VR)
The increasing availability of VR technology will deliver more immersive walkthroughs of BIM designs, improving visualisation and offering the ability to engage stakeholders and clients realistically at early stages in the design process. It’s already helping to deliver improved on-site service and technical support, connecting workers via headsets to BIM for practical training and installation walkthroughs.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology’s ability to embed a unique code into individual components gives BIM users accurate records of who made each alteration
during the design process. Some industry leaders are already exploring the potential of blockchain to create ‘Smart contracts’ integrated with their
payment administration systems – so that contractors are paid reliably when tasks are marked as completed within the model.
Internet of things (IoT)
Integrating BIM with real-time data gathered by IoT sensors and devices inside the physical build will support ongoing asset management,
feeding accurate real-time data from appliances or systems about on-site conditions or performance back into models.
Automation
Many of the manual tasks carried out inside BIM today, will become increasingly automated – whether that’s structuring and classifying data
or naming files.
2. The need for wider, more in depth training
Training costs and the widespread availability of learning materials are often perceived as key barriers to BIM adoption, particularly for smaller organisations. At present, the average BIM course in the UK is only 1.25 days in length, and just 18 training providers align to ISO 19650 recommended standards.
43.5% of these training opportunities are currently provided by higher education institutions and 18 of those courses are at postgraduate level –traditionally not the preferred route of qualification across construction. Due to this, many professionals are training themselves on the job and often feel their knowledge is lacking in certain areas.
In acknowledgement of this, the UK’s Construction Leadership Council (CLC) published the first sector-wide skills plan for construction between 2021-2025 in March 2021. This highlights the importance of enhancing technical, digital and modern methods of construction skills across the sector, as well as traditional competencies. It also recognises that to encourage adoption further, there’s still a widespread need for more accessible and more detailed BIM training. We expect to see a growing range of innovative learning resources and educational opportunities for BIM in the coming years.
“Right now, the most important industry improvement for me would be training. It takes a considerable amount of time to learn and, although many professionals do it, learning on the job isn’t always ideal. The industry would benefit from more personalised training schemes, because how everyone uses BIM for their role is completely different.” Shaun Shortland, CAD/Revit Technician, KP Evans & Co Ltd
3. Replacing traditional property handover documents
Design and construction teams are usually contractually obliged to deliver a structured information handover package at the end of a project to support their client’s asset management and ongoing operations. Now that the value BIM offers for facilities management and reliable information on a development is widely understood, major organisations are exploring how to standardise this approach so that a digital model is provided at handover instead. More sophisticated digital handover tools will be required for this to be a widely available and accepted service. There’s also a need for more industry regulation to enforce adoption, such as rules to ensure data is accurate and can be used across different platforms (similar to the IFC’s platform neutral BIM file format), as well as a guarantee that the information will still be accessible for years to come.
Summary
BIM is here to stay. Across the globe, uptake of this game-changing technology remains strong – changing the way construction operates to be more efficient, collaborative, sustainable and resilient.
The UK has led the way in this innovation. Little more than five years after the BIM level 2 mandate, a wide range of sources are already demonstrating that BIM is delivering - even exceeding - some of its key promises by helping the industry tackle its most pressing challenges.
More countries will follow, as governments mandate to establish this technology as the global standard for construction and design.
Organisations have moved past initial fears that investment in BIM would be a waste of resources – 75% of those who’ve adopted BIM now report a positive return on their investment. But it’s undeniable that there are still some barriers to overcome for full scale, industry-wide adoption.
The industry will need to take appropriate steps to ensure BIM is accessible for everyone and, by doing so, should open up new possibilities for smaller organisations – helping them to fully embrace digitalisation.
Our Kitemark status as a BIM manufacturer
Holding the drainage industry standard
Our BIM journey started in 2014 by creating digital Revit packages for our plumbing and drainage catalogue.
Then in 2017, we became the first drainage manufacturer to achieve the BSI Kitemark for our BIM content and plumbing products. We’re proud to be the only drainage manufacturer in the UK to hold this standard.
The Kitemark certifies the accuracy of our products and our robust delivery of BIM objects, proving our diligence in design and construction supply chain management, as well as customer service excellence.
Today, every above ground drainage product that comes out of our factory and carries a BSI Kitemark, also
has a BSI Kitemark for its digital counterpart, guaranteeing its quality.
Our BIM drainage offering
Revit packages for plumbing and drainage
We know BIM is changing the way the industry designs and constructs. That’s why we developed our Wavin Revit content packages for AutoDesk
Revit’s BIM software to help drive this change across construction. The package comes with integrated intelligent assistance to help customers create an ‘as-built’ pipe system in the fastest way possible. It provides a 100% accurate representation of the way piping systems will be installed, without the use of product catalogues. It also features a fully integrated Bill of Materials. We’re proud that our Revit packages were shortlisted for a UK 2017 Building Award.
Our Wavin Revit packages;
• are compatible to BIM Collaboration Levels 1, 2 & 3
• are compatible to BIM Complexity Levels 3D & 4D - due to our validation view, we are the only drainage manufacturer currently at Level 4D
• are classed as LOD 400 (Manufacturer specific)
• contain the minimum Cobie Parameters (BS1192:4) and Uniclass 2015 Classification Parameters (BS8541-1:2012)
• are IFC compatible
• are market leading.
Going from BIM to built, faster
BIM by Wavin puts a new level of productivity at your fingertips, enabling everyone in the construction chain
to access the full time and cost savings of using BIM.
• Wavin HDPE Soil, waste and vent
• Wavin Osma ABS Solvent Weld Waste
• Wavin Osma PP Push-Fit Waste
• Wavin Osma Accessories
• Tigris K1 – Press-fit plumbing
• Hep2O – Flexible Push-Fit
• Wavin AS+ acoustic soil system
• Wavin Osma Compact Soil PVC-U solvent weld
• Wavin Osma Compact Soil PVC-U push-fit
• Wavin Osma PVC-C Solvent Weld Waste
• Wavin Osma PVC-U Push-fit Ring Seal Soil
• Wavin Osma PVC-U Solvent Weld Soil
These packages deliver the following benefits:
An automated Bill of Materials
As each model is created, a Bill of Materials is automatically built in the background to mirror it, detailing every product part and code needed to build it.
Faster, seamless design features
Significantly faster to use than competitor packages, you can create precise models in a fraction of the time and feed them into a project at an earlier stage. We have proven its superior performance in a number of side-by-side comparisons with other packages.
Intelligent assistance
By automating key aspects of pipe system design, the intelligent assistance in our packages speeds up the process and removes the risk of costly errors.
100% accurate content
100% accurate content at LOD400 and accurate clash detection are the drivers of a true representation of all the products in the 3D model. Ours is the only BIM content to feature a visual accuracy check
Unlock the power of Wavin through BIM
To find out more about our Revit piping packages and other BIM solutions, please visit our BIM Centre where you can download Revit files, view
our Tips & Tricks videos, and access a training manual and training options for Revit modellers.
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