ENG 17th Anniversary. 
When it comes to discussing the benefits of BIM in construction, the conversation can sometimes feel repetitive. However, it is important to highlight the tangible impacts that BIM is having on construction projects today.
Here are five benefits of BIM that are particularly relevant in 2023:
Trades Pre-Construction Coordination: Avoiding Re-work and Change Orders.
Even if it doesn’t sound fancy anymore, trades pre-construction coordination is still the lowest low-hanging fruit with extremely high value-added. By leading a BIM coordination process correctly, and ensuring different disciplines’ buy-in and follow-through, construction teams can avoid re-work and change orders, resulting in significant cost savings.
Facilitating Prefabrication: Paving the Way for Off-Site Assembling.
Facilitating prefabrication is another benefit of BIM that has become increasingly impactful due to rising labor costs. While it may require a higher level of sophistication in the modeling team, BIM paves the way for off-site assembling, which is a critical construction trend today.
Layout Efficiency: Enhancing Accuracy and Saving Labor Costs.
Layout efficiency is enhanced when BIM is combined with Robotic Total Stations. By taking BIM to LOD 400 and including RTS points in the model, construction teams can save on labor costs and achieve greater accuracy in layout.
Capturing Existing Conditions: Achieving High Precision and Design Efficiency.
Capturing existing conditions in a fraction of the time is another benefit of BIM that is relevant today. By mixing virtual modeling with hardware technology like Laser Scanning equipment, construction teams can capture a complete replica of space and all its elements with a high level of precision, enabling them to design, pre-coordinate, and prefabricate without ever needing to double-check anything on-site.
Efficient Handover and Facilities Management: Yielding Significant Cost Savings for Owners.
Efficient handover and facilities management are benefits of BIM. Still in its infancy, but can yield significant cost savings for owners. To fully use this benefit, a strong BIM management strategy must be in place throughout the design and construction process to keep data organized. This will enable the operator to have comprehensive asset information from day one of the operations, resulting in significant cost savings eventually.
In conclusion, BIM technology has revolutionized the construction industry in recent years, and its benefits continue to be relevant in 2023. From trades pre-construction coordination to efficient handover and facilities management, BIM can save time and money while enhancing accuracy and efficiency throughout construction.
