Master Thesis Summary

Master Degree
International Project Management
In the Building Process Chain

Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

How can BIM improve the delivery of Complex Construction Projects?

Submitted by:

Dipl.-Ing. Mart Broquetas

Student Matriculation No: 810136

Tutor:

Professor Roland Dieterle

University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart

M. Eng, MBA, Dipl.-Ing. Jrgen Marc Volm

Drees & Sommer, Stuttgart

-2Summary
Building Information Modelling [BIM] is the most commonly used term to describe a
set of parametric tools and processes for the creation and maintenance of an
integrated collaborative database of multi-dimensional information regarding the
design, construction and/or operations of a building, with the purpose of improving
collaboration between stakeholders, reducing the time needed for documentation of
the project and producing more predictable project outcomes.
Company External

Rules and Regulations

Building; Helth and Safety;
Planning

Functional Description

BIM Software

Functions
Calculations
Requirement
Demolition
Reconstruction

Architectural, structural/civil
engineering; building
services

Virtual Reality
Modeling Language
(VRML)

Reuse
Refursbishment
Demolition
Reconstruction

Visualization
3D Models

Facility Management

Simulation

Renting, sale and use

Maintenance
Warranty

Comfort
Air, heating
Life-cycle costs
Light; sound; insulation;
use; fire; environmental
impact; life expectancy

4D
Schedules
Logistics

Desciption
Including Cost Estimates

Sourcing

Figure 01 A Fully Functional BIM (after BSI, 2010)

Product Database
Pricing Database

Although the rates of companies adopting BIM (McGraw-Hill, 2010a) and the
research about the topic has been steadily increasing in recent years, there is very few
literature analysing the topic from the Project Management point of view.
To try to fill this void, this dissertation attempted to analyse BIM from the Project
Management point of view. The research started with the mission to answer a double
research question: Is BIM a Project Management Tool? How can BIM help Project
Managers succeed in delivering complex construction projects? To answer this, the
author analyzed relevant literature, analyzed the benefits of implementing BIM in 35
different construction projects and reviewed the opinions of AEC professionals
collected through questionnaires.
Master Thesis IPM
HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-3The research was successful on proving that BIM is a relevant tool for Project
Managers because the benefits found in projects using BIM outnumber the challenges,
moreover the benefits found are in line with the role expected from a Project Manager,
as defined in the different knowledge areas of the PMBOK.
The literature showed a need for better integration of project teams and
collaboration between all parties. It also showed the need for a new way of dealing with
information, moving from the document paradigm to the Project Integrated Database
paradigm. The information analysed pointed in the direction that BIM could be the tool
that allowed this better integration of teams and of information. The research study
pursued based on that has shown that it does, with Communication and Coordination
as two of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) showing more benefits due to the use
of BIM in construction projects.
Paral.lel to the research question several objectives were defined, the first objective
was to identify in which aspects BIM is showing more benefits for construction projects.
Added to the already mentioned Communication and Coordination benefits, Cost, Time
and Quality Improvement were the other three KPIs proven to have more beneficial
influence from BIM in projects.
Table 01. The PM KPI ranking of BIM use

Key Performance
Indicator
Cost Reduction or Control

Positive perception
Total
Total
% of total
number of
mentions
projects
projects
29
21
60.00%

Negative perception
Total
Total
% of total
number of
mentions
projects
projects
3
2
5,71%

Time Reduction or Control

17

12

34.29%

8,57%

Communication Improvement

15

13

37.14%

0,00%

Coordination Improvement

14

12

34.29%

8,57%

Quality Increase or Control

13

12

34.29%

0,00%

Negative risk reduction

17.14%

2,86%

Scope Clarification

8.57%

0,00%

Organization Improvement

5.71%

5,71%

Software issues

0.00%

20,00%

Comparing the main benefits of BIM implementation with the role of the Project
Manager was the second objective of this research. The traditional Iron Triangle was
used. Having Time, Cost and Quality as a major aspect in which BIM is showing
positive effects, proved the relevance of BIM for PM practitioners. The study also used
Atkinsons (1999) Square Route principle and showed that BIM is clearly helping in 2 of
the 4 corners of Atkinsons concept for Project Management Success Factors.

Master Thesis IPM

HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-4The benefits for stakeholders and the organizational benefits were not so easy to
identify. Organizational improvements were mentioned directly or indirectly in the case
studies a few times and the questionnaire survey showed some respondents with
opinions related to the improvement of the organization because of BIM use.
This research also aimed to define which role should the Project Manager assume
within the BIM framework. Almost half of the respondents considered that the Project
Manager should be BIM Proficient and 24% of them considered that the Project
Manager should be in charge of overall BIM Management. The research shows that
BIM is an Information Management Tool that goes way beyond its design functions.
For this reason the author is pretty confident to state that it is the PM who should lead
the BIM Management the same way the PM is the leader in setting up other IT systems
and protocols in complex projects.

Figure 02 . Example of a BIM Model and an automatic Beam Schedule obtained from it

The research also showed that there are some challenges for BIM implementation.
Mainly, these challenges are related to the Cost and Time needed to train staff to work
efficiently with BIM.
The second challenge found was the existence of certain Software Issues that seem
to not be allowing the use of BIM with all its potential. The research suggested that the
PM should contribute to the solving of these issues, instead of considering the a
reason not to use BIM, to be sure they address the aspects that can most benefit
projects.

Master Thesis IPM

HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-5Despite the described challenges for BIM implementation. This research shows
enough positive aspect related to the Project Management role, and it is suggested
that PMs will benefit a lot from the use of this new way of working.
This dissertation also suggests that further studies should focus on how to improve
BIM and aspects of BIM implementation, rather than trying to prove if BIM should be
used or not. The AEC Industry needs better practices and BIM is one of them. But
researchers should focus on how to make this adoption easier, more cost effective and
smoother, and not waste much more brain power trying to convince those who resist
change.
Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the
steamroller, you're part of the road.
(Steward Brand, cited in Onuma, 2009)

Master Thesis IPM

HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-69 - References
- Alshawi, B. and Ingirige, B. (2003) Web-enabled project management an emerging
paradigm in construction. Automation in Construction. Volume 12, pp.349-364.
- Atkinson, R. (1999) Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses
and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria International Journal
of Project Management. Volume 17, pp. 337-342
- Autodesk (2002) Building information Modelling. [online] Available at:
http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/autodesk_bim.pdf [accessed 19th November
2010]
- Autodesk (2007) BIM and cost Estimating. [online] Available at:
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/bim_cost_estimating_jan07_1_.pdf [accessed
18th November 2010]
- Aouad, G.; Lee, A. and Wu, S. (2006) Constructing the Future: nD Modeling.
London, UK and New York, USA: Taylor and Francis.
- AIA (2009) The Business of Architecture: An AIA Survey Report on Firm
Characteristics.
- Allison, H (2010) 10 Reasons Why Project Managers should Champion 5D BIM
software VICO Software. [online] Available at: http://www.vicosoftware.com/vicoblogs/guest-blogger/tabid/88454/bid/27701/10-Reasons-Why-Project-ManagersShould-Champion-5D-BIM-Software.aspx [Accessed 26th November 2010]
- Architects Journal (2009). CAD - The greatest advance in construction history.
[Online]. Available at: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/cad-the-greatest-advancein-construction-history/1996442.article [Accessed 8th August 2010]
- Baccarini (1996) The concept of project complexity - a review. International
Journal of Project Management. Volume 14, pp. 201-204.
- Bansal, VK (2011) Application of geographic information systems in construction
safety planning. International Journal of Project Management. Volume 29, pp. 6677.
- Bayo-Moriones, A. and Lera-Lpez, F. (2007) A firm-level analysis of determinants
of ICT adoption in Spain. Technovation. Volume 27, pp. 352-366
- Benjaoran, V. (2009) A cost control system development. A collaborative approach
for small and medium-sized contractors. International Journal of Project
Management. Volume 27, pp. 270-277.
- Bentley (2003) Does the Building Industry Really Need to Start Over? [online]
Available at:
.
http://www.laiserin.com/features/bim/bentley_bim_whitepaper.pdf [Accessed 18th
November 2010]
- Bosch-Rekveldt, M.; Jongkind, Y.; Mooi, H.; Bakker, H. and Verbraeck, A. (2010)
Grasping project complexity in large engineering projects: The TEO (Technical,
Organizational and Environmental) framework. International Journal of Project
Management. Article in Press
Master Thesis IPM
HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-7- Broquetas, M. (2010a) From CAD to BIM: Part I - History of CAD. [online] Available
at:
http://www.cad-addict.com/2010/02/from-cad-to-bim-part-i-history-of-cad.html
[Accessed 8th August 2010]
- Broquetas, M. (2010b) From CAD to BIM: Part II - History of CAD. [online] Available
at: http://www.cad-addict.com/2010/03/from-cad-to-bim-part-ii-from-cad-2d-to.html
[Accessed 8th August 2010]
- BSI (2010) Constructing the Business Case. Building Information Modelling. London
and Surrey, UK: British Standards Institution and BuildingSMART UK.
- Chan, A. P. C.; Scott, D. and Chan, A. P. L. (2004), Factors Affecting the Success
of a Construction Project. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.
Volume 130, pp, 153-155.
- Clough, R.H.; Sears, G.A. and Sears, S.K. (2008) Construction Project
Management. A Practical Guide to Field Construction Management. Hoboken, New
Jersey: Wiley.
- Eastman, C. (1999) Building Product Models: Computer Environments Supporting
Design and Construction, CRC Press, Boca Raton FL
- Eastman, C. and Siabiris, A. (1995) A generic building product model incorporating
building type information Automation in Construction. Volume 3, pp. 283-304.
- e-Business Watch (2006) A Pocketbook of e-Business Indicators. A portrait of ebusiness in 10 sectors of the EU economy.[online] Available at:
http://www.ebusiness-watch.org/statistics/documents/pocketbook-2006.pdf.
[Accessed 18th November 2010]
- Europapress (2010) El 66 por ciento de los espaoles no habla ingls, segn un
estudio.
Europapress
[online]
Available
at:
http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-66-ciento-espanoles-no-habla-inglesestudio-20100325121113.html [Accessed 16th November 2010]
- European Commission (2009) COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT on
the implementation of Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 concerning the
definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. [online] Available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/sme_definition/sme_report_2009_e
n.pdf [Accessed on 18th November 2010]
- Forcada, N.; Casals, M.; Roca, X. and Gangolells, M. (2007) Adoption of web
databases for document management in SMEs of the construction sector in Spain
Automation in Construction. Volume 16, pp. 411-424.
- Fortune, J. and White, D. (2006) Framing of project critical success factors by a
systems model. International Journal of Project Management. Volume 24, pp. 5365.
- Fox, S. and Hietanen, J. (2007) Interorganizational use of building information
models: potential for automational, informational and transformational effects.
Construction Management and Economics. Volume 25, pp. 289-296.
- Given, l.M. (2008) The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods.
Volume 1&2. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Master Thesis IPM
HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-8- Grilo, A. and Jardim-Goncalves, R. (2010) Value proposition on interoperability of

BIM and collaborative working environments. Automation in Construction. Volume
19, pp. 522-530.
- Haymaker, J. and Fischer, M. (2001) Challenges and Benefits of 4D Modeling of
the Walt Disney Concert Hall Project. CIFE Working Paper #64. Stanford
University.
[online]
Available
from:
http://cife.stanford.edu/online.publications/WP064.pdf [accessed January 5th 2011]
- Holzer, D. (2007) Are you talking to me? Why BIM alone is not the answer
Association of Architecture Schools Australasia Conference, University of
Technology Sydney, Australia.
- IAI
(2010a)
BuildingSMART
International
[online]
available
http://buildingsmart.be.no:8080/buildingsmart.com/about-us
[accessed
November 2010]

at:
22nd

- IAI (2010b) Information Delivery Manual [online] available at: http://www.iai.no/idm/

[accessed 22nd November 2010]
- Kadefors, A. (2004) Trust in project relationshipsinside the black box.
International Journal of Project Management. Volume 22, pp 175-182.
- Kaner, I.; Sacks, R.; Kassian, W. and Quitt, T. (2008) Case studies of BIM adoption
for precast concrete design by mid-sized structural engineering firms. ITCon.
Volume 13 pp. 303-323.
- Khanzode, A.; Fischer, M. and Reed, D. (2008) Benefits and lessons learned of
implementing building virtual design and construction (VDC) technologies ITCon.
Volume 13 pp. 324-342.
- Khemlani, L.; Timmerman, A.; Benne, B. And Kalay, Y.E. (1998) Intelligent
representation for computer-aided building design. Automation for Construction,
Volume 8, pp. 49-71.
- Lancaster, G. (2005) Research methods in Management. A Concise Introduction to
research in management and business consultancy. Burlington, MA: Elsevier
Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Lawson, B. (2002) CAD and Creativity: Does the Computer Really Help?
Leonardo, Volume 35, pp. 327-33
- Lee, C. (2008) BIM: Changing the AEC Industry: PMI Global Congress 2008--North
America. Proceeding. Denver, Colorado, USA: Project Management Institute.
- Leicht, R. and Messner, J. (2008) Moving Toward An Intelligent Shop Modeling
Process ITCon. Volume 13 pp. 286-302.
- Maning and Messner (2008) Case Studies In BIM Implementation For
Programming Of Healthcare Facilities ITCon. Volume 13 pp. 446-457.
- Maunula (2008) The Implementation of Building Information Modeling A Process
Perspective. Helsinki University of Technology SimLab Publications. Report 23.
- Maurer, I. (2010) How to build trust in inter-organizational projects: The impact of
project staffing and project rewards on the formation of trust, knowledge acquisition
Master Thesis IPM
HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

-9and product innovation. International Journal of Project Management. Volume 28,

pp. 629-637.
- McGraw-Hill (2008) Building Information Modelling (BIM). Transforming Design and
Construction to Achieve Greater Industry Productivity. [online] Available at:
http://construction.ecnext.com/mcgraw_hill/includes/BIM2008.pdf [Accessed on 18th
November 2010]
- McGraw-Hill (2009) The Business Value Of BIM. Getting Building Information
Modeling
to
the
Bottom
Line.
[online]
Available
at:
http://fiatech.org/images/stories/research/2009_BIM_SmartMarket_Report.pdf
[Accessed 26th November 2010]
- McGraw-Hill (2010a) The Business Value of BIM in Europe. Getting Building
Information Modelling to the Bottom Line in the United Kingdome, France and
Germany. [online] Available at:
.
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/business_value_of_bim_in_europe_smr_final
.pdf [Accessed on 18th November 2010]
- McGraw-Hill (2010b) Green BIM. How Building Information modeling is contributing
to green design and construction. [online] Available at: Green BIM. How Building
Information modeling is contributing to green design and construction [accessed on
26th November 2010]
- Nitithamyong, P. and Skibniewski, M.J (2004) Web-based construction project
management systems: how to make them successful? Automation for
Construction, Volume 13, pp. 491-506
- Onuma. K. (2009) The BIM Ball Evolve or Dissolve. Why Architects and The AIA
are at Risk of Missing the Boat on Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM
Construct. [online] Available from: http://www.bimconstruct.org/steamroller.html
[Accessed 22nd December 2010]
- PMI (2004) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK
Guide). Third Edition. Newton Square, Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute.
- Pratt, M.J. (2001) Introduction to ISO 10303 - the STEP Standard for Product Data
Exchange Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering. Volume
1, pp. 102-103.
- Ricadela, A. (2007) LinkedIn Reaches Out. Businessweek. [online] Available from:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/technology/content/jan2007/tc20070129_64250
7.htm [Accessed 1st December 2010]
- Succar, B. (2009) Building information modelling framework: A research and
delivery foundation for industry stakeholders. Automation for Construction. Volume
18, pp. 357-375.
- Taxn, L. and Lillieskld, J. (2008) Images as action instruments in complex
projects. International Journal of Project Management. Volume 26, pp. 527-536.
- Teicholz, P. (2004) Labor Productivity Declines in the Construction Industry:
Causes
and
Remedies.
AECbytes.
[online]
Available
at:
http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2004/issue_4.html [Accessed 26th November
2010]
Master Thesis IPM
HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool

- 10 - Volm, J.M. (2010) Research Methods in Project Management [lecture notes]

Deciding on the Research Approach & Choosing a Research Strategy. Hochschule
fr Technik Stuttgart. Stuttgart, June 2010.
- Wikipedia (2010) Building Information Modelling [online] Available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_Information_Modeling
[Accessed
22nd
November 2010]
- Williams, R. and Edge, D. (1996) The social shaping of technology. Research
Policy. Volume 25, pp 865-899.
- Williamns, T.M. (1999) The need for new paradigms for complex projects.
International Journal of Project Management. Volume 17, pp. 269-273.
- Williams, T. (2002) Modeling Complex Projects, London, UK: Wiley.
- Yessios, C.I. (2004) Are We Forgetting Design? AECbytes.[online] Available at:
http://www.aecbytes.com/viewpoint/2004/issue_10.html [accessed 22nd November
2010]

Master Thesis IPM

HfT Stuttgart - WS 2010

Mart Broquetas
Using BIM as a Project Management Tool