Planning BIM-Based Design Projects: A Product-Process Framework

The design phase of construction projects is a crucial stage that impacts the entire project’s lifecycle. Shape, constructability, serviceability, functionality, as well as the maintainability of the facility are all decided at this phase. While several studies have targeted the management of the execution phase of construction projects, monitoring and controlling of the design phase is still under-studied. Although the iterative and ill-structured nature of design complicate the management of design projects, a loosely controlled design process can lead to substantial project’s delays and overall project’s value loss. In this regard, this study develops a new framework that combines the product and process aspects of BIM-based design projects under a unified project management umbrella. A new definition of design tasks is introduced, and a practical design planning framework is developed accordingly. The findings show that the developed framework correlates between design activities and BIM model development, enables the systematic definition of design work packages across the duration of the project, enhances the representation of design process activities and corresponding information dependencies, and captures the involved design iterations at each stage of the product development process.