VIEWPOINT
BETTER BUILDING PERFORMANCE WITH BIM INTRODUCTION This article examines Building Information Modelling (BIM) and building performance from the perspective of the opportunities they represent for the Quantity Surveying profession. Without doubt, BIM presents a number of challenges for Quantity Surveyors – including the variable quality of models they receive – but it is equally clear there are significant potential benefits for those willing to come to grips with them. Let’s place all of these things in the
context of a few trends that can be identified in the construction industry: • Increasing digitisation of information, workflows and tools used by stakeholders. One of the more obvious manifestations of this is the use of BIM and performance assessment software. • A more strategic, whole of life view of building procurement. This is based on the recognition that the initial design and construction cost compared to operational and maintenance costs is a small proportion of the total cost of
ownership, especially for large public projects such as hospitals. • Greater attention is now given to predicting performance regarding energy consumption and maintenance costs, for example, during the early planning and design stages of projects. • Rising expectations about building performance and project delivery, coupled with increasing building complexity, demands more collaborative procurement strategies. Digital technologies offer the means for improving collaboration between stakeholders.
THE BUILDING ECONOMIST - JUNE 2018 - 31
