BIM Implementation Strategy for Libya's Construction Sector

Introduction to BIM and Construction Challenges

Construction, on any project, is a piecemeal affair that often produces so much confusion of parts that it is difficult to ensure no important element is lost or forgotten. Charles Thomsen, a leading builder, looks inside a construction trailer and sees "a plan rack with separate drawings for architectural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and civil… special sets of drawings for landscaping, lighting, security networks, way-finding graphics… shop drawings are in racks, buckets or drawers. Book shelves hold loose-leaf notebooks full of RFIs" (Thomsen, 2010). A need existed for all of this to be organized into one package that would allow construction to run more seamlessly. With the volume of material required for even a simple structure, organizing the planning material is essential.

Technology provided the means for this organization through a process called Building Information Modeling (BIM). Thomsen uses the example of a movie being constructed the way buildings are to help the uninitiated understand the typical construction process. He asks: what if "you went to Blockbuster to rent a movie and got separate DVDs for the parts of the heroine, the hero, the villain, the bit players, the sound track, the scenery, the special effects" — and when something was wrong with one part, it took three weeks after the hand submission of an RFI for the studio and Blockbuster to make simple corrections (Thomsen, 2010)? This is not a nightmare scenario for the construction industry; it is an everyday reality — one that BIM solves by using the power of software to provide a simpler method for producing, changing, and storing all of the documents a construction site requires.

BIM can succinctly be called "a documentation tool, replacing legacy drafting procedures" (Thomsen, 2010), or a system whereby it is possible to "fully and truly construct a building virtually, and in detail" (FWCI, 2009). It has also been described as "a single building information model for the entire construction industry" (Howell & Batcheler, 2005). The system has applications well beyond construction: students at a prep school in Green Bay, Wisconsin use it to design cars (Starkman, 2007), and hospitals use it to create model operating rooms and test their efficiency (Lu & Price, 2011; Watkins et al., 2011). Building information modeling software can go a long way toward virtually constructing a building before a single physical element is put in place, allowing contractors to manage a construction site more effectively and helping clients understand what the finished project will look like better than any other tool in the industry.

Core Benefits of BIM Software

The primary benefit is organizational, but there are others as well. Thomsen (2010) notes that BIM software can help the builder significantly because "it may include information such as the physical configuration, programmatic requirements, functional characteristics, specifications, systems performance, supply chain threads, construction sequence, cost or any other information that might be useful." This information is interconnected within the system, allowing designers, builders, and other stakeholders to conceive of the project as it develops.

The FWCI document highlights several beneficial planning aspects of BIM, noting that the design team can "not only select and place the materials — including concrete slabs, rebar, steel structure, wall and ceiling components, HVAC, plumbing and electrical — but also test all such parts for conflicts (clash detection) to ensure everything will come together seamlessly" (FWCI, 2009). The program also allows the user to construct a 3D image of the finished project and let the client walk through the building virtually. This tool enables the builder to identify problems that are not apparent from traditional drawings, so that fixes can be managed before construction actually begins.

BIM is successful not only because of its benefits but also because it is relatively accessible in some forms. Many professionals have been using earlier CAD versions for years, meaning that transitioning to BIM does not require extensive retraining for basic operations. However, more advanced tasks can present challenges. As Lavy and Fernandez-Solis (2010) note, waste arises not only from material issues but also from "information waste caused by conflicts, errors, and omissions detected with the use of building information modeling." These issues stem from improper data input as well as from the system misinterpreting entered data. Like any new technology, problems will persist until users are properly trained to operate the system as intended.

4D and 5D Capabilities

Among the most powerful features BIM offers beyond 3D modeling are what have been termed 4D and 5D operations. It has long been theorized that the fourth dimension is time, and this concept has been integrated directly into BIM. "BIM can have sequence and construction duration information attached to drawing elements that represent the building systems" (Thomsen, 2010). This is one of the primary ways that construction managers use BIM to control the supply chain and coordinate the timing of subcontractors. Of course, this feature is only as accurate as the schedule and assumptions entered into the system; if the model does not account for realistic contingencies, the output will reflect those gaps.

The so-called 5D component relates to project cost. Material costs can either be entered manually or the system can use online resources to determine current costs associated with materials, labor, transportation, and all other elements and processes required. Both the 4D and 5D components can be updated almost instantly when costs change or time constraints shift. This real-time adaptability is one of BIM's most valuable practical features, allowing project managers to respond to changes on the fly rather than reworking entire documentation sets by hand. A comprehensive overview of BIM's technical dimensions is available through the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on building information modeling.

BIM Implementation in Libya

The main focus of this paper is to examine the construction needs of a country such as Libya and determine whether BIM is a tool that can be effectively deployed to address the challenges arising in national construction projects. The technology could be highly beneficial, but there are significant challenges to address before any implementation program can begin. Despite the political changes brought about by the Arab Spring, there has been little professional training in this type of technology within the country (Ngab, 2007). Implementing BIM would represent a major advance for the Libyan construction industry, which has been involved in numerous large-scale projects, and it would allow the country to develop its own domestic experts rather than relying on foreign management.

The main barriers to adoption — training and cost — appear to be surmountable hurdles rather than fundamental obstacles. Construction technology courses could be developed at the university level, and trained operators could be ready to enter the workforce relatively quickly. The cost of software and infrastructure could also be absorbed by the government as part of a broader national development strategy. Establishing this capacity domestically would represent a significant step toward greater self-sufficiency in managing Libya's infrastructure development. The broader context of construction industry development in emerging economies is well documented in research available through JSTOR's academic journal archive.

References

Foundation of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (FWCI). (2009). Building information modeling: Understanding and operating in a new paradigm. Retrieved from

Howell, I., & Batcheler, B. (2005). Building information modeling two years later — huge potential, some success and several limitations. Retrieved from http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/newforma_bim.pdf

Lavy, S., & Fernandez-Solis, J. (2010). Complex healthcare facility management and lean construction. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 3(2), 3–9.

Lu, J., & Price, A. D. F. (2011). Dealing with complexity through more robust approaches to the evidence-based design of healthcare facilities. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 4(4), 3–8.

Lyon, M. P. (2006). Fantastic FOSE: Three diverse concepts featured at FOSE will give future public managers faster, easier, and cheaper means of managing the federal inventory. The Public Manager, 35(1), 40–49.

McGraw-Hill Construction. (2009). Understanding perceptions and usage patterns of BIM software among key player segments. Retrieved from http://www.bim.construction.com/research/pdfs/2009_BIM_Appendix.pdf

Ngab, A. S. (2007). Libya — The construction industry: An overview. Academy of Graduate Studies Tripoli. Retrieved from

Starkman, N. (2007). Problem solvers: U.S. students continue to lag behind the rest of the world in the four core STEM subjects. THE Journal (Technological Horizons in Education), 34(10), 35–43.

Thomsen, C. (2010). BIM: Building information modeling. Retrieved from

Watkins, N., Kobelja, M., Peavey, E., Thomas, S., & Lyon, J. (2011). An evaluation of operating room safety and efficiency: Pilot utilization of a structured focus group format and three-dimensional video mock-up to inform design decision making. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 5(1), 6–21.