The first decade of the twenty first century has witnessed a tremendous increase in the demand of sustainable buildings mainly due to mounting energy costs and growing environmental concerns. The most effective decisions related to the sustainable design of a building can be made in the planning and design phases. Since Building Information Modeling (BIM) allows for multi-disciplinary information to be superimposed within one model, it creates an opportunity for sustainability measures to be incorporated early in the design process. This paper presents findings of a research project to investigate the feasibility of BIM for sustainability analyses via a case study. Based on the collected data, it is found that BIM can significantly aid in performing complex building performance analyses to ensure an optimized building design. The designers can also use these results to generate necessary documentation for LEED ® certification (a green building rating system used in the USA), thereby saving considerable time and resources.

ABSTRACT:The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction industry is on the rise. It is widely acknowledged that adoption of BIM would cause a seismic shift in the business processes within the construction industry and related fields. Cost estimation is a key aspect in the workflow of a construction project. Processes within estimating, such as quantity survey and pricing, may be automated by using existing BIM software in combination with existing estimating software. The adoption of this combination of technologies is not as widely seen as might be expected.Researchers conducted a survey of construction practitioners to determine the extent to which estimating processes were automated in the conjunction industry, with the data from a BIM model. Survey participants were asked questions about how BIM was used within their organization and how it was used in the various tasks involved in construction cost estimating. The results of the survey data revealed that while most contractors were using BIM, only a small minority were using it to automate estimating processes. Most organizations reported that employees skilled in BIM did not have the estimating experience to produce working estimates from BIM models and vice-versa. The results of the survey are presented and analyzed to determine conditions that would improve the adoption of these new business processes in the construction estimating field.

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-Several factors have contributed to the growth of BIM usage in the global construction industry, including availability of appropriate software and hardware tools, the opportunity to minimize errors, waste & cost and increasingly competitive markets [1][2]. An emerging approach in the construction industry is the use of 5D-BIM, by combining the traditional three dimensions of a BIM with the schedule as the fourth dimension and cost estimate as the fifth dimension [3]. This approach allows the contractors to better predict the cost of the project, the time-line of the project when these expenses are anticipated to occur, while simultaneously allowing the schedule to be optimized by considering the quantities of materials derived from the model and the productivity rate of construction crews. On the one hand 5D-BIM methods provide an excellent opportunity to connect processes in design, cost and construction methods; on the other hand they call for a significant shift in the way construction companies operate. It is unrealistic to commit extensive resources for a large construction company, towards a re-alignment of their internal processes, while continuing to be competitive and profitable. This paper considers how one construction company in the United States adopted the 5D-BIM methods, the challenges faced in implementing it within the company and the lessons learned in the process. A case-study method was used in an effort to understand the paradigm shift within the company in adopting 5D-BIM. Interviews with key personnel within the company were conducted and content analysis of the data was performed to describe the results. The results from this study show the intricacies of implementing a technology driven paradigm shift to a population of construction experts with a not-so erstwhile philosophy of success within the construction industry. The captains within the company communicated a great appreciation for the 5D-BIM concepts but were unwilling to delve into it whole-heartedly. Several reasons contributed to this attitude, including a reluctance to change by some, motivation to demonstrate immediate profitability and the lack of demand for such endeavours from the owner/designer community. However there were also personnel within the company that quickly adapted to the 5D way of thinking about construction and were keen to proceed with using the methodology on future projects. The advantages of using 5D-BIM and the problems encountered in implementing it are analysed in the results section of the paper.