Combining BIM and Last Planner on Construction Sites: an Investigation of the Related Challenges

Abstract

The construction industry is facing a gradual but important transformation towards more productivity and collaboration. In this framework, two major approaches are often cited in the literature as having the potential to improve the practices in the industry: Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Lean Construction. Several scientific studies have demonstrated the synergy of these two approaches and very recent research has reported positive results from the use of software applications as support for their implementation on construction sites. However, the stakes of such integration have been very little studied. This article presents the results of a research project conducted within a general contractor firm that decided to implement BIM and Last Planner System (LPS) on its construction sites. The research uses a four-stage action research approach, including the characterization of the research issue, the establishment of an action plan, its implementation and its evaluation. Compared to recent related studies, the research is less enthusiastic. While it highlights the need for new tools to improve production planning and control, it also points to a strong resistance to change by practitioners at the site. They emphasize the necessity for adequate pre-service training and the need for new resources that can work full-time on the ongoing training of site teams. In addition, some limitations of the tool lead workers to believe that it can quickly become a factor that slows down their daily work rather than improving it. 825 widely discussed in the literature and the added value of such a combination has been demonstrated [10][11][12][13]. But very little work has been devoted to the issues related to the combined use of these two approaches, which, even if they are recognized as complementary, each require a particular methodology and important means to implement. This article presents the results of a research project conducted with a general contractor firm that decided to implement BIM and Last Planner System (LPS) on its construction sites. It aims at exploring the main challenges to overcome in order to successfully implement LSP-BIM software. The rest of the article is organized in four main sections. The first section presents a literature review whose purpose is to define the main concepts to understand the problem, and to present the state of the art on the question. The second section presents the research methodology. The third part presents the main results, which are discussed next in the fourth section.

Investigating the challenges related to combining BIM and Last Planner System on construction sites

“…This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled 'Combining BIM and Last Planner on construction sites: an investigation of the related challenges' presented at the 2019's edition of the Creative Construction Conference (Pitti et al, 2019). The purpose of the research work is to investigate the challenges associated with the combination of BIM and Last Planner System through the use of a dedicated software, from the practitioner's standpoint.…”

BIM for lean building surveying services

“…Hence, interactions between BIM functionalities and lean thinking principles are hypothesized based on the findings from previous literature for the purpose of uncovering evidence, as shown in Figure 1. To validate these hypothesized interactions, a questionnaire containing both open- and close-ended questions was designed for this purpose (Pitti et al , 2019). The close-ended questions embedded statements that contain evidence of this interaction.…”

Possible Discrepancy between Project management Approaches and their Appliances in the Building Practice

“…Therefore, the Project Manager should not only train the staff on the new practices to be adopted, but before develop in practice a methodology that integrates everything as proposed by Brioso when written by Brioso X and other more recent articles could be conducted in devising a more precise and different methodology for each Project and Construction Management approach, integrated with the ISO 21500 Standard. The research could also concern how to implement these innovative methodologies within different organizations, from small and medium to large enterprises, so as to gradually stop the opposition of workers of any category of enterprise, used to working for a long time in the same way and therefore reluctant to change [2][3][4].…”