Building information modelling (BIM) adoption amongst larger construction firms and innovators seems to be on the increase. However, there is evidence to suggest that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently lagging behind and are losing out in winning publicly funded projects. Guidance and frameworks to assist SMEs to make an informed decision about BIM adoption are currently lacking. There has been no systematic effort to date to bring together the results of research in SMEs' BIM adoption. Consequently, this paper seeks to bridge this gap and provide a conceptual framework to give a theoretical foundation to the study of brokering risks and rewards in the adoption of BIM for project delivery. This framework is comprehensive and includes trading off risks and rewards associated with several criteria, such as stage of involvement, project value, funding, and the procurement route chosen. The approach has been validated by a representative sample of BIM users and the findings of the validation are also presented. The findings of the framework validation reveal that early design stage, project size between £5 m and £50 m, private funding, and integrated project delivery procurement are the best opportunities that enable SMEs to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks, when adopting BIM. City, Viet Nam. His research interests include investigating the influences of information technology on innovation and improvement in business, education and the construction industry. He is currently examining the risks and rewards that SMEs may face when they adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM) to deliver construction projects.Lamine MAHDJOUBI. He is Professor of ICT in Built Environment and Director of the Centre for Architecture and Built Environment Research at the University of the West England, Bristol. He leads the interdisciplinary Building Information Modelling Research Group. One of the key interests is developing the next generation of BIM methods and tools for SMEs. He has extensive experience in developing novel computer-based simulation techniques, and design decision-support tools to examine user-built environment interaction. His research on developing a new generation of BIM methods and tools led to the creation of novel virtual prototyping techniques, the development of an improved methodology for spatial planning, and a series of tools for evaluation, visualisation and optimisation of design solutions.
Professional ethics is currently a high profile topic within the construction industry. This paper examines the benefit of promoting a single ethical code for the construction industry using the Society of Construction Law"s Statement of Ethical Principles. Studies from the UK, USA, Australia and South Africa establish the extent of the problem in respect of unethical and illegal behaviour. Enforcement activity in European Union and United Kingdom, including the current Office of Fair Trading investigations are also considered. The drafting of the Ethical Statement is reviewed and its terms discussed. Amongst the conclusions reached is the observation that ethical codes do not operate in a vacuum and that the promotion of a single code will only bear fruit when seen as part of a larger raft of measures including longer term relationships and collaborative working and a higher profile for ethics in training/education.
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