BIM Methodology Will Transform Construction, Change the World

The world has undertaken an accelerated race toward digital transformation, driving almost all its activities hand in hand with technology. Thus, many innovations have become part of our lives, changing many of our habits and routines forever.

For example, we have gone from watching traditional TV to being able to consume millions of pieces of content through streaming services, from shopping in physical stores to ordering any number of things from the comfort of our homes, and even from receiving medical care in a doctor’s office to doing so through a screen.

All of these are changes in our daily dynamics, which have simplified our actions. But people are not the only ones who have gone through this process. Companies have also evolved during this period. Beyond the boost they received during the last two years, companies have moved forward to digitize their processes and make the most out of innovation.

According to the study, The New Digital Edge: Rethinking Strategy for the Post-Pandemic Era, developed by McKinsey, up to 64 percent of companies warn that by 2023, they will be working on the creation of digital businesses.  

It is a figure that allows us to measure the interest that the business core is devoting to a topic that is here to stay and that promises to transform almost any business sector.

This is precisely what is happening within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, which has been advancing around digitalization for some time now.

Construction, a Land of Opportunities

The AEC industry has undergone a digitalization process through different techniques but one of the most important is BIM (Business Information Modeling), a technological and collaborative work methodology specialized in this sector.

In a nutshell, it consists of modeling all the information generated throughout the value chain of buildings, from the design stage, through the construction process, to the actual operation of the active building.

This methodology, with the support of the appropriate software, allows the existing data to develop a project to be linked with the necessary guidelines to realize the work in the best possible way, positively affecting its duration, costs, maintenance, and, most importantly, its climate impact.

In this way, the company in charge of the construction project has a complete view of the situation, allowing it to carry out simulations to evaluate risks and act in case there is an issue.

These strengths have led the BIM methodology to develop considerably in recent years, from an emerging idea to a trend capable of redefining the industry's future.

The Accelerating Digital Transformation Through BIM SmartMarket Report, which was developed by several companies, together with Autodesk, found that up to 60 percent of architects and 51 percent of structural engineers already use it in at least 50 percent of all their projects.

But these percentages are likely to continue to rise: the same evaluation detailed that over the next two or three years, they could increase up to 89 percent in the case of architects and 80 percent in the case of structural engineers.

The study also found that the BIM methodology has been crucial for the digital transformation of up to 47 percent of companies that started using it to accelerate the digitization of their processes.

This is how the practice of this trend is becoming increasingly crucial for companies within the sector, which are now conscious of its adoption to deliver stronger results than those obtained when everything was done traditionally.

For example, a McKinsey’s analysis of public works construction warned that, when not supported by technology and alternatives such as the BIM methodology, construction costs can be exceeded by 80 percent and construction time by up to 35 percent.

In Favor of Nature

In addition to the improved results that the use of this innovative strategy offers companies, it also helps them work for the benefit of the environment and nature.

This is no small matter. It is an essential concern for the world, especially considering that about 38 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the construction and operation of buildings and real estate.

Its contribution lies in the precept that, under the BIM methodology, it is possible to take advantage of innovations such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, machine learning, or generative design to create clean projects whose essence is a circular alternative that avoids the waste of materials and reuses their surplus, depending on each case.

In this way, companies will be able to both move forward and positively address their climate change objectives for 2030, being able to complete their tasks and goals much faster with the support of this methodology.

This is a crucial topic for Autodesk, which has been working to promote a drastic reduction of pollutants coming from this sector and that placed a US$1 billion dollar bond aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of its products.

We know how important it is for the world that the AEC sector takes advantage of this type of innovation as soon as possible. The challenge is huge but the sector has already taken the first steps to achieving it.