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Assessing BIM Value Impact
30 IN PERSPECTIVE Assessing BIM Value Impact
Indian infrastructure sector is growing at a rapid pace, embracing latest technological processes and solutions, however, there’s a need to strategically evaluate BIM to further boost adoption and reap dividends By Titas Roy
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it ~ Peter Drucker
By 2025, India is expected to be the world’s thirdlargest construction market. It stands at the cusp of immense transformation spurred by infrastructural developments.
The government plans to invest US$ 1.4 trillion on infrastructure projects to ensure sustainable development through the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) till 2023.
Apart from the NIP, other flagship projects such PM GatiShakti - National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity and Smart Cities Mission have been quite instrumental to realise the need for digital transformation in the overall workflow of construction and infrastructure projects.
Impetus to develop country’s infrastructure is attracting both domestic and international players. Private sector has been constantly emerging as a key player across various segments, ranging from roads and communications to power and airports.
Moreover, the Government of India has also come up with a single window clearance facility to ensure speedy approval of construction projects. All these factors are conducive towards accelerating the momentum of digital transformation in India, particularly in terms of BIM adoption across the various stages of construction workflows in order to tackle the challenges plaguing the sector.
Why Calculate BIM ROI?
Digital transformation of Indian infrastructure sector needs a faster pace to be a key driver of development, innovation, and value-addition.
Due to the presence of global players in the ecosytem, the sector is realizing the potential of disruptive digital solutions such as BIM.
One of the key reasons for slow adoption of BIM hitherto has been lack of initial investment needed for acquiring technology solutions and training the workforce. Most decision makers and industry leaders remain unaware of the varied nature of Return on Investments (ROI) in BIM.
It is extremely important to understand and realize the ROI to make informed decisions in terms of BIM adoption. Apart from the usual time and cost-saving benefits, BIM has the potential to deliver end-to-end sustainable infrastructure project delivery.
Calculating the ROI of BIM adoption will enable infrastructure development agencies and construction firms to optimize their investments in a proper manner. It will enable them to assess the organization’s BIM maturity level for future business transformation.
Closing the Gap
Today, at the most only 20 percent of the stakeholders of the Indian infrastructure ecosystem are implementing BIM. While more than 50 percent of them are aware of BIM as an extension to CAD.
This points to a huge gap between awareness and implementation. There’s a need to drastically enhance awareness and trigger implementation to plug the existing gap.
Most of the users are architects and designers who use it for design simulations, enhanced visualization, and better coordination and collaboration.
Another challenge is that most organizations that are aware of the benefits of BIM don’t consider implementing it due to lack of knowledge on ROI. There are also some stakeholders who are not aware of BIM and its value proposition across infrastructure projects.
Need to Ascertain
Currently, BIM is being utilized in a range of subsectors across the built environment in India. Analysis suggests that there is significant inclination towards BIM adoption particularly in residential, commercial, and mixed-use building construction, followed by airport terminals and facilities projects.
BIM maturity in the Indian infrastructure projects is at a nascent stage. It is used mostly in the planning and designing phase which includes feasibility study, schematic design development and tendering and procurement documentation.
Furthermore, the level of BIM implementation is the lowest in the operations and maintenance stage. One of the major reasons for this is that the ROI of using BIM solutions across the building and operations and maintenance phase is still not realized.
This establishes a strong need to assess the qualitative and quantitative ROI of implementing BIM solutions across different phases of the construction and infrastructure lifecycle.
Optimized Design with Qualitative ROI
BIM adds multiple benefits to deliver construction projects throughout the project lifecycle, including supporting concurrent construction. It can also facilitate development stages of a project lifecycle: from the early conceptual phase through design, construction, and operation phase to demolition. Most important benefits of BIM implementation are enhancing productivity and increasing efficiency. BIM can
NEED FOR BIM IN INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR
The Indian construction and infrastructure sector is one of the major contributors to the Indian economy and the socio-economic growth of the country. Currently, the sector is undergoing a major transformation– including significant urbanization and economic development, contributing approximately nine percent to the country’s GDP. GW Consulting research suggests that BIM has the potential boost productivity in the Indian infrastructure sector by at least 25-30%.
BIM can enforce a huge transformational change in Indian infrastructure project delivery by:
Re-thinking design. Enabling better collaboration in real time. Improving on-site execution and reducing risks. Improving material efficiency and ensuring sustainable energy consumption. Simplifying integration of design and construction information. Supporting green building assessment and certification.
PLAN & DESIGN
Cost Estimation Clash Detection Enhance Visualization Energy Modelling Reduce Litigations Develop Green
Building Assessment BUILD OPERATE
Material Management Reduce Carbon
Footprints Schedule Time and
Cost Develop Simulation
Models for
Environmental Impact Catalyse Lean Project
Delivery Predictive
Maintenance Cost Optimization Change
Documentation Monitor and Maintain
Sustainability
Performance RENOVATIONS & RETROFITS
Enhanced visualization and data management Increased Energy
Efficiency Resource, cost, and time optimization
integrate time and cost which supports real-time update and assesses efficient tracking and monitoring process along the project phases.
BIM can be applied in the assessment and analysis of green buildings. It can also be used for clashes detection and design optimization.
The ability to apply BIM in different construction-related management processes may lead to high performance in the Indian infrastructure sector.
Understanding and acknowledging the value of BIM will make construction players’ decision to use BIM for their projects very easy. However, to achieve that, it is important to identify and convince them about the benefits of the technology.
Quantitative ROI, the recently launched report on BIM’s Strategic Return on Investment (ROI) in Indian Infrastructure Projects, produced by Geospatial World in association with Autodesk, quantified the ROI of BIM adoption in Indian infrastructure projects.
To identify BIM’s strategic ROI, the study develops a comprehensive systemic review of mainstream case studies of BIM implementation in Indian infrastructure projects. A total of 84 projects have been taken into consideration from different sources including conference proceedings, company websites, journals, etc. They have been validated through one-on-one interviews to evaluate the true value-proposition of BIM in infrastructure projects.
Transport Infrastructure Projects
Based on the analysis of 30 successful use cases of Indian transport infrastructure projects, it can be estimated that an average of about 30-35 percent of design time was saved.
BIM played an instrumental role in optimization of design and alignment of routes through early visualization.
In the construction stage, BIM enables real time progress tracking and clash detection and helps speed up the construction work by an average of 45 days. Further, successful adoption of BIM can save up to an average of 15-20 percent of the overall project cost.
2022 Utilities Infrastructure Projects - (Water, Power and Electricity, Oil and Gas)
Utilities infrastructure projects including water supply, power
MAJOR BENEFITS OF BIM ADOPTION IN INDIA
NATIONAL BIM AND DIGITAL TWIN STRATEGY
Prepared under the aegis of Non-Executive National BIM and Digital Twin Think Tank for New India
Constituted by
Strategic Partnership Time saved during design stage. Time saved during construction stage. Overall project cost saved. Resource-hours saved.
Materials saved.
and electricity generation, and oil and gas pipeline projects can save up to average 25 percent of time during the design stage as BIM plays a pivotal role in facilitating simplification of planning processes and promoting work linkage during the early stages.
With regards to the construction stage, BIM adoption helps in efficient estimation of required resources and possess the ability to reduce the project completion time by approximately 50 to 60 days. Added to that, about 20 percent of the overall project cost can be saved by using BIM throughout the project lifecycle.
Buildings and Campuses Projects
In case of building projects, BIM enables faster and smooth collaboration among multiple stakeholders associated in the planning and design stage of the project and can save an average of about 42 percent of time during design stage.
BIM helps in real-time clash detection in case of constructing complex MEP designs and has the ability to save as much 60 days during the construction stage. On an average, building projects can save up to 22 percent of overall project cost .
Conclusion
By estimating ROI to assess BIM initiatives and implementation across Indian infrastruc-
ture projects, organizations associated with infrastructure development of the country can prioritize investments for organizational effectiveness. This leads to sustained business improvement and increases competency levels.
Proper ROI estimation will help chart out a roadmap for future development, with strategic recommendations for devising impactful optimization strategies and designing frameworks for sustainable infrastructure development.
Titas Roy
Senior Research Manager AEC & Digital Cities titas@geospatialworld.net
India has significantly developed its natural disaster management capability in the past two decades. Moreover, it has also emerged as a major donor to its neighbors and other countries in managing disaster. To optimize its relief and response work, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has started leveraging geospatial technologies for advanced prediction, response, and restoration. In an interview with Geospatial Artha, Atul Karwal, Director General, NDRF, shared his vision, plans, and the current challenges before the agency related to relief and response work.
Journey of NDRF
The geographical position of India—with the Himalayas in the north, the Peninsula in the south, and a vast desert in the west—makes it prone to all kinds of disasters. India has been ranked third, after China and the US, in the UN report for the disasters that occoured over the last 20 years (2000-2019). 27 of India’s 28 states and eight of union territories are exposed to recurrent natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, floods, and droughts.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was raised as a dedicated force in the year 2006, to combat all natural and man-made disasters under the provisions of the Disaster Management (DM) act 2005; initially with 8 battalions from different Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Presently, 16 NDRF Battalions are functional across the nation to respond to any disaster. For a quick response, there are also 28 Regional Response Centers (RRCs) and 14 Tactical Prepositioning Locations (TPLs) to cover the vulnerable places.
Since its inception in 2006, NDRF has conducted more than 8,000 operations and rescued 1,46,500 citizens. NDRF rescuers have also evacuated more than 7,37,300 people caught up in disaster situations, to safer places. NDRF rescuers have also saved about 15,000 livestock during disasters.
Capacity building of the community and the State Disaster Response Forces, to make the country disaster resilient, is also one of the mandates of NDRF. Till now, NDRF has created this awareness among over 8.2 million people, throughout the nation.
In a short span, of time NDRF has earned the trust and respect of the citizens. Due to the selfless services of our rescuers, we are popularly known as the ‘Angels in Orange' among locals.
Progress in the Formation of SDRF
As per section 3.4.5 of National Policy on Disaster Management 2009, state governments are required to raise their own State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF). So far, 26 States have constituted their State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs).
During any disaster, after community and local administration, SDRFs come into action. NDRF is
committed to the capacity building of SDRFs to strengthen their response mechanism. Till now, more than 21,000 SDRF personnel have been trained by us.
Annual conferences for disaster response are organized by NDRF where all stakeholders participate. The aim of these conferences is to increase the synergy between response agencies and to enhance their capabilities. Hon’ble Union Minister for Home and Cooperation graced the conference as the chief guest twice in the years 2019 and 2022.
NDRF Coordination with State Government
NDRF HQ & the NDRF battalions have a system of regular coordination with the state SEOCs, Relief Commissioners, SDMAs, District Administration, and local authorities through meetings, workshops, mock exercises, pre-disaster planning, and exercises and during all phases of any disaster /emergency. Further, during major operations, if required, officials from HQ NDRF coordinate with officials of concerned states/UTs at the top level as well.
Challenges before NDRF
The strength of NDRF is small compared to the expanse of India and the profile and frequencies of disasters that we face. SDRFs need to be given due importance by the state and UT governments so that they can deal with disaster situations of less serious ramifications. As of now, NDRF sometimes gets pulled into even minor disaster situations, which leaves us with little time for retraining and recuperation.
The relief items are provided by the state/civil administration. NDRF assists the state machinery in distribution of these relief materials to remote locations during disasters.
Utilizing Geospatial Technology in Optimizing Relief Work
Keeping in mind the 5th Point of Hon. Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction which states – Leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of disaster risk management efforts, NDRF uses various kinds of technological aids to combat disasters.
Location is a key element in Disaster management – these Geospatial technologies include global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as the global positioning system (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing (RS). Geospatial technologies can provide accurate and current location-based data for use in disaster management.
Remotely sensed data can be used very efficiently to assess the severity and impact of damage due to these disasters. In the disaster relief phase, GIS, combined with global positioning system (GPS), is extremely useful in search and rescue operations.
Optical data is used to map surface damage such as destroyed buildings etc. Digital elevation models and other indices are used to assess floods. Temporal change detection is one of the most used techniques to determine the severity of the damage. Pre and Post images of the disaster/event are compared to assess the change in terms of damage. All of these can be very useful and we hope that in the future, these technologies become more widespread and embedded in our SOPs.
In adherence to the 7th Point of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda- Utilise the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies for disaster risk reduction, NDRF is using social media platforms for disaster management as social media has more utility than just connecting with friends and family. It has become a powerful tool for information dissemination and in times of crisis, a lot of such ‘meaningful social media groups’ have become a tool to harness local resources to support community’s resilience. We also are many times informed of disaster situations through
Challenges Before NDRF In Relief Work
NDRF personnel face the following problems in providing response and relief:
1. Breakdown of communication network that hampers connectivity. 2. Law and order issues. 3. Threat of unhygienic conditions and Covid guidelines. 4. Scarcity of food and supplies of other essential goods including medicines as the strength of the victims is sometimes very large. 5. During flood disasters, washing away of connecting tracks and roads that hamper our movement. 6. Accessibility of airport/airbase in disaster- affected areas.
social media platforms, which enables us to give a prompt response.
Moreover, our presence on all the major social media platforms for dissemination of authentic information and updates about any occurring disasters, operations of the task force, and related information ultimately prevents rumors and chaos, in real-time.
Requirements of New Technology
NDRF is a self-contained response organization, equipped with all kinds of high-tech tools and equipment; whether it is cutting tools, search equipment, life-detector, rescue boats, advanced communication equipment such as QDA, Under Water Sonar System, Vehicle mounted VSAT antenna, etc. NRSC has created an NDEM portal for NDRF which is very useful to identify the locations and other aspects of damage during a disaster.
NDRF is collaborating with the AGNIi Mission of the Prime Minister’s Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for the indigenization of technology and periodically holds Field Trials. Geospatial industries could be part of these field trials to examine how these technologies can sharpen the edge of NDRF response to disasters. Aside from evaluating the latest equipment for the Indian context, we need to evaluate the latest technologies for communication, data sharing, optimal use of resources, analysing trends in disasters for pre-emptive and proactive action, situational awareness, and even for rescuers' safety.
Challenges before Resource Mobilization for The Relief
Terrain & topography of the affected area, interrupted communication networks, road blockages, water logging, and long-distance from NDRF locations cause hindrances in response to a disaster.
But SDRFs are in the process of being raised, trained, and equipped and with the passage of time, even the community is becoming more resilient to such situations.
India has made tremendous advancements in handling disasters during the last two decades. The objectives have been zero casualties of humans and no loss of property. In this line, we have conducted various successful international exercises on disaster management with regional cooperation organizations such as BIMSTEC DM Ex, SAADMEx, SCO, and AMCDRR with the active participation of all member countries.
Regional mechanisms for disaster management for ASEAN countries and southeast Asia include and extend beyond an ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management such as the ASEAN Joint Disaster Response Plan, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) which provides an early warning as well as coordinates between member countries during disasters and the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team that is deployed during disasters.
SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters was signed at the Ministerial level at the 17th SAARC Summit held at Addu City Maldives on 11th November 2011.
The objective of the agreement is “to provide effective regional mechanisms for rapid response to disasters to achieve a substantial reduction of disaster losses in lives and in the social, economic and environmental assets of the Parties, and to jointly respond to disaster emergencies through concerted national efforts and intensified regional cooperation.
Over the last two decades, India has significantly reorganized and improved its domestic capability. In the meantime, India also emerged as a major donor that provides disaster relief to other countries, particularly regional neighbors.
