Integrating Building Information Modeling in the Construction Sector: The Middle East and North Africa Case

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been identified as a noticeable advancement in construction process modeling that brings revolutionary improvements in construction productivity. BIM is taking off in many countries across the world, there is an increasing demand for adopting BIM in the Middle East (ME) region due to the urgent need for improving its productivity and overcoming its persistent problems resulting from the fragmented nature of the industry and the multidisciplinary network of involved participants. This study aims at (1) analyzing the diffusion patterns of BIM in the MENA construction industry, (2) presenting a comprehensive view of BIM adoption barriers in the MENA developing countries, and (3) and examining the business value of BIM within the natural setting of MENA construction firms through developing a quantitative model that can be used to analyze the costs/benefits of investing in BIM. A mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative) was adopted to collect and analyze data. A sum of 512 questionnaires was collected and a total of 15 interviews were conducted. To analyze the questionnaire, SPSS was used to interpret the data. As part of the analysis of the interviews, content analysis was employed. Although the MENA construction industry is moving on the right track for adopting BIM, it is using BIM mostly for 3D visualization and 3D coordination and is oblivious to other fundamental functionalities such as logistics and safety planning. The study confirms that the diffusion of BIM functionalities is mainly driven by the imitative behavior (internal factors) rather than the changes in government regulations and the client’s demand (external factors). Moreover, despite the potentials of BIM, and although MENA construction firms will not survive in the long term if they choose not to invest in BIM, firms are still reluctant to adopt it. The lack of client demand coupled with the high costs of adoption is decelerating its diffusion in the MENA region. Therefore, it is recommended that MENA construction stakeholders including the government and professional regulatory bodies work together to provide regulations and develop industry standards that guide the implementation. Moreover, developing frameworks that provide evidence of the costs and benefits of BIM are recommended to support firms in weighing the risks versus the opportunities and determining whether the investment in BIM pays off in the long run or not. Therefore, a Cost-benefit framework that takes into consideration all the interactions between BIM costs and benefits within the complexity of the real-world corporate system environments will help MENA firms in their decision making towards the adoption.