BIM-Based Risk Identification and Assessment in Building Projects at their design Phase

Abstract

The complexity and dynamics of construction sites, in combination with the uncertain behaviour of human factors, result in considerable workplace injury, illness, and fatality statistics in the construction industry despite the strict legislative framework worldwide. Therefore, the demand for a thorough risk management process, based on automated safety modelling and preventive strategy, stands out in order to identify and eliminate potential hazards early in the design phase of a construction project, resolving thus safety issues in the field by extending traditional safety management practices. The objective of this study is to investigate whether and how Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be used within the health and safety framework to enhance risk identification and assessment in building projects at their design phase. To this aim, a case study is conducted via a BIM software, namely Revit, to develop an effective Building Information Model of a two-storey building in which safety measures are introduced according to State legislation and field practices at a specific construction phase. In the proposed way, the real-life complexity of the risk management process is simplified, due to the object-oriented approach of BIM, the variety of BIM libraries and the experiential recognition of unsafe conditions with 3D simulations in place of the nonjudgmental and merely bureaucratic law-enforcement methods. In conclusion, BIM enhances the communication between engineers and workers, using interactive tools, and facilitates the Safety Officer duties in the direction of preventing potentials hazards from the early planning phases.