Salman Azhar

Building Information Modeling (BIM): Trends, Benefits, Risks, and Challenges for the AEC Industry

Building information modeling (BIM) is one of the most promising recent developments in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. With BIM technology, an accurate virtual model of a building is digitally constructed. This model, known as a building information model, can be used for planning, design, construction, and operation of the facility. It helps architects, engineers, and constructors visualize what is to be built in a simulated environment to identify any potential design, construction, or operational issues. BIM represents a new paradigm within AEC, one that encourages integration of the roles of all stakeholders on a project. In this paper, current trends, benefits, possible risks, and future challenges of BIM for the AEC industry are discussed. The findings of this study provide useful information for AEC industry practitioners considering implementing BIM technology in their projects.

BIM for Sustainability Analyses

Buildings consume close to 40% of total energy used in the United States and account for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. With the rising cost of energy and growing environmental concerns, the demand for sustainable buildings with minimal environmental impact is increasing. The most effective decisions related to the sustainable design of a building can be made in the early design and preconstruction stages. In this context, Building Information Modeling (BIM) can aid in performing complex building performance analyses to ensure an optimized sustainable building design. This research project investigated the viability of BIM-based sustainability analyses. The objectives were: 1) determination of current state and benefits of BIM-based sustainability analyses; 2) evaluation of various building performance analyses softwares; and 3) development of a conceptual framework to illustrate the use of BIM for sustainability analyses throughout the project life-cycle. Necessary data were collected via a questionnaire survey, a case study and semi-structured interviews. It is expected that the research findings would be useful for architecture and construction organizations interested in using BIM technology for sustainable design.

Action Research as a Proactive Research Method for Construction Engineering and Management

Academic research in applied disciplines such as construction engineering and management (CEM) has the dual mission of simultaneously contributing to the solution of practical problems and creating theoretical and conceptual knowledge. To do so, appropriate research approaches are needed. However, extant literature in the field has paid little attention to this issue and research methods used have been almost entirely either quantitative surveys or case studies. In this paper, action research (AR) is proposed as an answer to this knowledge gap. AR aims at building and testing theory within the context of solving an immediate practical problem in a real setting. The paper describes the underlying philosophy and application procedure of AR and highlights its strengths and weaknesses. Then, the applicability of the method to CEM is illustrated through a case study of improving access to information to support planning and decision making in a construction owner organization through designing and implementing a data warehouse. The findings indicate that AR is a reliable, structured, and rigorous research approach that is very useful for conducting applied research in construction and enabling academia to influence and improve construction industry practices. It can also effectively help to improve collaboration between academic researchers and industry practitioners in research and development projects.

A CASE STUDY OF BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYSES USING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING

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

An Investigation of Critical Factors and Constraints for Selecting Modular Construction over Conventional Stick-Built Technique

Recent advances in manufacturing methods, construction equipment, information technology tools, and project delivery systems have resulted in increased use of prefabrication and modularization. This research study identifies critical factors and constraints that can help designers, engineers, and constructors in selecting modular construction over the conventional “stick-built” technique for commercial building projects. The decision-making process of selecting one construction method over another is complex and based on a number of factors, some of which are site conditions, skilled labor availability, transportation conditions, organizational readiness, local codes, project schedule and budget, sustainability requirements, and design complexity. The aim of this study is to identify the most critical factors and constraints that must be considered by the decision-makers for selecting modular or stick-built construction. The study employed a mixed methods research design and was divided into three phases. In the first phase, through an in-depth literature review and interviews with six industry professionals, ninety seven decision-making factors and forty three constraints were identified. In the following phase, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine their quantitative ratings and rakings. In the final phase, with the help of a focus group of five modular construction experts, twelve critical decision-making factors and six major constraints were shortlisted and validated. It is hoped that the findings will help the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry in making informed decisions about the appropriate construction method selection.

Capacity building in construction health and safety research, education, and practice in Pakistan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present findings of a capacity building project on construction health and safety that is recently completed in Pakistan. The major objectives of this project are: first, to benchmark the current state of construction health and safety practices in Pakistan and to identify the data needs for continuous performance measurement; second, to develop health and safety guidelines; third, to develop adequate educational and training material; and finally, to improve the existing regulatory infrastructure for worker health and safety. Design/methodology/approach – Mixed-methods approach is adopted for data collection which included site observations, surveys, semi-structured interviews, and case studies. The methodology consists of following major tasks: first, literature review and study of best practices; second, investigation of existing safety practices and development of guidelines; third, educational and training programs for construction professionals and educators...

TECHNIQUES FOR TRACKING RFID TAGS IN A BIM MODEL

Academicians and industry professionals have demonstrated the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags in construction applications in the past few years. Recently building information modelling (BIM) technology is emerging as the industry standard in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector. This paper combines the two technologies to monitor the movement of RFID tags in a BIM environment. Real-time monitoring of RFID tags in a building information model is an improvement over other methods of tracking construction workers, equipment and materials on the jobsite. Strategies for combining the two technologies are explored. This method of monitoring can be used to improve the safety and productivity of construction workers on a construction jobsite. This technique of monitoring RFID tags can also be used to track equipment and construction materials on a job-site. Autodesk Revit BIM software environment was used for tracking RFID tags. The paper includes discussion about the choice of RFID tags available for this method of tracking.

Construction Apps: A Critical Review and Analysis

At the end of 2013 it is estimated that there are nearly 13,000 apps related to design and construction available on Apples iPad. With this many apps available in the market finding the right app for a construction manager can be a challenge. The purpose of this research was to identify mobile apps that can be used in the life cycle of a construction project. A total of 205 design, construction, and facility management apps were recorded. The majority of mobile apps discovered were apps to be used during the construction phase of a project. Research revealed there is a lack of mobile apps for facility management in the market. Apples iOS platform was found to be the most popular operating system followed by Android with Windows 8/8.1 being the least popular platform. This research also aimed to discover the top ten best apps for a construction manager. Construction managers from several different companies were interviewed to find out what apps are currently being used in construction as well as which activities mobile apps would be most useful. It was discovered the majority of apps currently used by construction managers are not construction apps. Interviewees also indicated apps would be most useful for activities related to quality control, specifically deficiency tracking. Another goal of this research was to explore current and future challenges of implementing apps in the construction industry. The top two problems identified were (1) lack of training and (2) difficulty viewing documents on mobile devices. This suggests companies could improve the use of mobile apps by properly training employees.

State-of-the-Art Best Construction Practices Integration into Higher Education Curricula

AbstractThe integration of best industry practices into construction curricula can be used to advance the knowledge base of construction graduates and better prepare them to effectively respond to industry challenges. Arguably, construction programs in North American colleges and universities are rather slow in the adoption of industry best practices. This study assesses the state-of-the-art best construction practices integration into higher education curricula. Through the analysis of data collected by means of an online questionnaire, major findings regarding the level of academic awareness on best industry practices, and the level of integration of best practices into higher education curricula, are reported. This study makes three fundamental contributions to the body of knowledge. First, it provides factual data about the extent of use of industry best practices in various construction programs. Second, it discovers that graduate courses are a better fit for delivering information on best practices ...

Introduction to the Special Issue on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in AEC Organizations: Assessment of Impact on Work Practices, Project Delivery, and Organizational Behavior

Information and communication technology (ICT) has changed and continues to change almost every aspect of our daily lives. Our personal lives, social interactions, educational systems, business atmosphere, and corporate culture—everything has changed in one way or another due to advances in the field of ICT. The construction industry is no exception. ICT provides an unprecedented opportunity as well as enormous challenges to the construction industry. Only 25–30 years ago, a photocopy machine was considered the most important ICT tool used in a construction office. Things have changed vastly and dramatically. What happened during the last two decades cannot be characterized as mere evolutionary dynamics. It is no less than a revolution. From computing technology of the past to what we now know as ICT is a huge leap. The AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry cannot afford to be just a spectator; the industry must take a proactive role in reshaping its own culture and systems in order to get the most out of the ICT revolution. That was the motivation behind this special issue. We attempted to present to the readers of the Journal of Management in Engineering the latest state of ICT as being applied and incorporated in the AEC industry, advancements in the ICT over the last two decades and their impact, current research topics being pursued by the researchers on ICT in construction and engineering project management, and above all we wanted to explore opportunities and challenges ICT presents to the AEC industry. ICT encompasses all forms of computing technologies (hardware, software, telecommunications, social media, etc.) that can be used to create, store, exchange, and utilize information in various forms. The AEC industry already embraced many ICT techniques and tools in the area of visualization, data analysis, communications and collaboration, information sharing and management, and information modeling (Williams 2007). Rapid adoption of smart phones and tablet devices in the AEC industry not only confirmed the need of quick information sharing but has also changed the mode of work practices at construction jobsites and offices. Similarly, building information modeling (BIM) has changed the way the buildings are conceived, designed, constructed, and operated. The use of BIM has encouraged the integration of the roles of all stakeholders in a project. This integration has brought greater efficiency and harmony among players who all too often in the past saw themselves as adversaries (Azhar 2011). The AEC industry, generally believed to be fragmented and labor-intensive, now has an unprecedented potential of being integrated by the use of ICT (Azhar 2007). The proposal for the special issue was approved by the JME editorial board in September 2012. The response to the special issue request for proposals was overwhelming and far exceeded our expectations. We received 95 proposals from academic researchers and practitioners. After careful review, authors of 18 proposals were invited to submit full-length manuscripts. Each submitted manuscript was reviewed by three to five experts. Based on the reviewers’ feedback and discussion, we finally selected 12 papers for the special issue. This special issue can be grouped into four themes as follows: (1) Review of ICT applications in the AEC industry; (2) ICT’s role in planning, decision making, and productivity enhancement; (3) ICT’s impact on organization and project-level communication and collaboration; and (4) Opportunities and challenges in ICT’s implementation. An in-depth review of 145 journal articles on ICT published between 1998 and 2012 is presented in the paper written by Lu, Li, Skibniewski, Wu, Wang, and Le (theme 1). This review paper provides detailed insights to help understand the general trend of ICT adoption, the most influential factors in ICT application, popular ICT technologies, and ICT-induced organizational outcomes. Four papers fall under theme 2 that discusses the role of ICT in planning, decision making, and productivity enhancement at project and organization level. Inyim, Rivera, and Zhu present an economic and environmental impact analysis ICT utility to aid in the decision-making process during the design stage of a construction project. Wu and Issa create a framework for facilitating holistic and systematic green BIM practices in LEED certified projects. Jiang and Leicht demonstrate an automated, rule-based constructability checking system with the help from BIM. Finally, Fan, Xue, and Li propose a framework to retrieve project-wide asneeded information from AEC documents that can be used for strategic and operational planning and decision making. Theme 3 has three papers with focus on ICT’s impact on organization and project-level communication and collaboration. Dossick, Anderson, Azari, Iorio, Neff, and Taylor discuss technical, social, and cultural challenges faced by engineering teams collaborating in virtual environments. Zekavat, Moon, and Bernold propose a holonic construction management (HCM) model able to integrate stand-alone information sources and syncs sinks flexibly into a collaborative production network. Finally, Solis, Howe, and O’Brien use a model of cognitive work of a field manager to understand how information tools have been adopted in the field, and how they affect field managers’ work approaches. These papers present divergent views on understanding the communication and collaboration issues at various levels within an organization.