The Hidden Costs and Risks of BIM in Construction Projects
October 22, 2024 at 7:00 am,
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Though BIM can bring tremendous benefits to almost any construction project, there are also risks associated with its use. A risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, can have a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives.
In this blog post, I’ll examine the main risks related to BIM, categorized by risk types, and discuss how to manage and address them.
Risk Types
In the theory of risks there are different types that can occur during the different phases of a project. In my experience, risks related to BIM can be the cause of many problems and here are a few examples based on the type of risk:
- Technical: Problems may arise in creating models that meet expected outcomes, or in using the information effectively, often due to software limitations or lack of training.
- Cost: For clients, cost-related risks usually stem from high project requirements that are time-consuming to fulfill or require specialized, scarce skills.
- Coordination & Communication: One of BIM’s key benefits is its ability to involve more people in the design and construction process, but this requires effective coordination. Missing key participants can result in losing important benefits.
- Culture and Change Management: Even if you create the best architectural model, if other disciplines are reluctant to use it, you miss the chance to significantly improve the design.
- Accuracy and Reliability: Models can vary in quality, which affects the accuracy of the information extracted, particularly for tasks like quantity take-offs.
- Security: BIM models contain rich data, and controlling access or sharing that data can be difficult. Data loss can also be a major problem.
- Legal: Legal risks may arise from unclear requirements (e.g., disputes over what should be modeled) or intellectual property issues, where model authors may be reluctant to share certain information like native models.
- Regulatory and Compliance: Ensuring that models adhere to project requirements or industry standards can be complex and time-consuming.
An example of very limited information for a BIM object which is difficult to identify and use for QTO.
Risk Management
Understanding the different types of risks allows you to manage them more effectively. Here are the crucial steps in managing risks:
- Identify: This is the foundational step of risk management, where potential risks are recognized before they occur.
- Analyze: After identifying risks, you must understand their nature, potential impact, and likelihood of occurring.
- Evaluate and Rank: Once analyzed, risks need to be prioritized based on their significance to the project.
- Treat: After ranking the risks, it's essential to develop strategies to mitigate or control them.
- Monitor and Review: Risk management is a continuous process throughout the project lifecycle. Priorities and circumstances can change, so it’s important to regularly review and adapt your risk management strategy.
Classical Risk Matrix
Working With Risks
There are various strategies for handling risks. Some of the most common are:
- Avoidance: Eliminate, withdraw from, or avoid involvement in the risk.
- Reduction: Mitigate the risk by optimizing processes or workflows.
- Sharing: Transfer or outsource the risk, or take out insurance to cover it.
- Retention: Accept the risk and budget for potential consequences.
Mitigation Strategies
There are several key strategies that will benefit any BIM project:
- Clear Contracts: Be specific about what you aim to achieve with BIM, including which models and objects should be modeled, and for what purpose.
- Training: Ensure that both you and your team are well-educated on BIM, and hire competent professionals to handle the process.
- Regular Check-ups: Stay actively involved in BIM projects. One of the main advantages of BIM is that it provides more information, more often, and much earlier in the project.
- Use Cloud Platforms: Avoid changing file names throughout the design process and utilize cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive) to significantly reduce the risk of data loss.
Conclusion
It’s important to understand that using BIM does not automatically improve your project outcomes. There are numerous risks associated with BIM processes and technologies. However, by understanding these risks and addressing them early, you can mitigate their impact and ultimately benefit from BIM. As the saying goes: failing to prepare means preparing to fail.