Building Information Modeling Body of Knowledge. I: Background, Framework, and Initial Development
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144, Issue 8
Abstract
This paper presents the first phase of the building information modeling (BIM) body of knowledge (BOK) research conducted by the Academic Interoperability Coalition (AiC). The AiC BIM BOK initiative identifies and examines the formation of a global BIM culture emerging from its ubiquitous adoption and implementation worldwide in the last two decades. It advocates both urgent needs and unprecedented opportunities to establish a BIM BOK to (1) develop a holistic and robust framework to capture BIM concepts, standards, best practices, and state-of-the-art innovations; (2) identify foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to meet workplace BIM job task performance requirements; (3) benchmark desired learning outcomes and career-specific competency in cultivating future BIM talent; and (4) enable credible and authentic BIM education accreditation and training credentialing. This research proposes the working definition of BIM BOK as the systematically curated concepts and nomenclature, knowledge, best practices, standards, and expected outcomes pertaining to BIM and its implementation. It summarizes the literature and background review, identifies the theoretic underpinnings of the BIM BOK, and delineates a knowledge representation framework adopted by AiC to encapsulate the BIM BOK using a job task analysis (JTA) workshop. A preliminary inventory of the BIM BOK contents is also developed, which is further explored and evaluated using a rigorous three-round, consensus-building Delphi study in the next phase of the BIM BOK research. The intellectual contributions of this research include that (1) it promotes the broad awareness of an expanding global BIM culture and proposes a systematic approach, i.e., the BOK, to scientifically investigate its formation and impacts on advancing the field of BIM study; (2) it clarifies the theoretic underpinnings and justifies the practical implications of establishing the BIM BOK; (3) it creates a holistic and dynamic knowledge representation framework for comprehensive and multidimensional BIM BOK documentation across industry sectors; and (4) it lays the foundation for more comprehensive development, evaluation, and utilization of the proposed BIM BOK when evaluating building and use cases.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/wei.wu#!/vizhome/AiC_BIM_BOK/AiCBIMBOK_Story. Data generated or analyzed during the study are also available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to sincerely thank the 2015 AiC BIM JTA mini workshop participants. They are commended for their vision, passion, and expertise in BIM practice and education, and their valuable contribution to building the foundation of a grand research effort of developing the first-ever BIM BOK.
References
Abdirad, H. 2016. “Metric-based BIM implementation assessment: A review of research and practice.” Archit. Eng. Des. Manage. 13 (1): 52–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2016.1183474.
Abdirad, H., and C. S. Dossick. 2016. “BIM curriculum design in architecture, engineering, and construction education: A systematic review.” J. Inf. Technol. Constr. 21: 250–271.
ASCE. 2008. Civil engineering body of knowledge for the 21st century: Preparing the civil engineer for the future. 2nd ed. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Azzouz, A., A. Copping, P. Shepherd, and A. Duncan. 2016. “Using the ARUP BIM maturity measure to demonstrate BIM implementation in practice.” In Proc., 32nd Annual ARCOM Conf., 25–34. Manchester, UK: Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
Barison, M. B., and E. T. Santos. 2011. “The competencies of BIM specialists: A comparative analysis of the literature review and job ad descriptions.” In Proc., Int. Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering, 594–602. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Becerik-Gerber, B., D. J. Gerber, and K. Ku. 2011. “The pace of technological innovation in architecture, engineering, and construction education: Integrating recent trends into the curricula.” J. Inf. Technol. Constr. 16: 411–432.
Becerik-Gerber, B., K. H. Ku, and F. Jazizadeh. 2012. “BIM-enabled virtual and collaborative construction engineering and management.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. 138 (3): 234–245. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000098.
Cerovsek, T. 2011. “A review and outlook for a ‘building information model’ (BIM): A multi-standpoint framework for technological development.” Adv. Eng. Inf. 25 (2): 224–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2010.06.003.
Chegu Badrinath, A., Y. T. Chang, and S. H. Hsieh. 2016. “A review of tertiary BIM education for advanced engineering communication with visualization.” Visual. Eng. 4 (9): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40327-016-0038-6.
Chen, Y., H. Dib, R. F. Cox, M. Shaurette, and M. Vorvoreanu. 2016. “Structural equation model of building information modeling maturity.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 142 (9): 04016032. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001147.
CICRP (Computer Integrated Construction Research Program). 2010. BIM project execution planning guide: Version 2.0. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Ding, L., Y. Zhou, and B. Akinci. 2014. “Building information modeling (BIM) application framework: The process of expanding from 3D to computable nD.” Autom. Constr. 46: 82–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2014.04.009.
Dodge Data & Analytics. 2015. The business value of BIM in China., edited by H. M. Bernstein, S. A. Jones, M. A. Russo, and D. Laquidara-Carr. Bedford, MA: Dodge Data & Analytics.
Dodge Data & Analytics. 2017. The business value of BIM for infrastructure 2017. SmartMarket Rep., edited by S. A. Jones and D. Laquidara-Carr. Bedford, MA: Dodge Data & Analytics.
Dossick, C. S., and G. Neff. 2011. “Messy talk and clean technology: Communication, problem-solving and collaboration using building information modelling.” Eng. Project Organ. J. 1 (2): 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/21573727.2011.569929.
Eadie, R., M. Browne, H. Odeyinka, C. McKeown, and S. McNiff. 2013. “BIM implementation throughout the UK construction project lifecycle: An analysis.” Autom. Constr. 36: 145–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2013.09.001.
Eastman, C. M., P. Teicholz, R. Sacks, and K. Liston. 2011. BIM handbook: A guide to building information modeling for owners, managers, designers, engineers and contractors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Fellows, R., and A. M. M. Liu. 2013. “Use and misuse of the concept of culture.” Constr. Manage. Econ. 31 (5): 401–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2013.794296.
Fenby-Taylor, H., N. Thompson, D. Philp, A. MacLaren, D. Rossiter, and T. Bartley. 2016. Scotland global BIM study. Edinburgh, Scotland: Heriot-Watt Univ.
Gasik, S. 2011. “A model of project knowledge management.” Project Manage. J. 42 (3): 23–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20239.
Giel, B., and R. R. A. Issa. 2016. “Framework for evaluating the BIM competencies of facility owners.” J. Manage. Eng. 32 (1): 04015024. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000378.
Gu, N., and K. London. 2010. “Understanding and facilitating BIM adoption in the AEC industry.” Autom. Constr. 19 (8): 988–999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2010.09.002.
Hardin, B., and D. McCool. 2015. BIM and construction management: Proven tools, methods, and workflows. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.
Harun, A. N., S. A. Samad, M. N. M. Nawi, and N. A. Haron. 2016. “Existing practices of building information modeling (BIM) implementation in the public sector.” Int. J. Supply Chain Manage. 5 (4): 166–177.
Hofstede, G. 2001. Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
ISO. 2010. Buildings and constructed assets. Service life planning. Part 10: When to assess functional performance. ISO 15686-10:2010. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO.
Joseph, J. 2011. BIM titles and job descriptions: How do they fit in your organizational structure? Autodesk University 2011. Las Vegas, NV: Autodesk, Inc.
Jung, Y., and G. E. Gibson. 1999. “Planning for computer integrated construction.” J. Comput. Civ. Eng. 13 (4): 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3801(1999)13:4(217).
Jung, Y., and M. Joo. 2011. “Building information modelling (BIM) framework for practical implementation.” Autom. Constr. 20 (2): 126–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2010.09.010.
Krathwohl, D. R. 2002. “A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview.” Theory Pract. 41 (4): 212–218. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4104_2.
Ku, K., and M. Taiebat. 2011. “BIM experiences and expectations: The constructors’ perspective.” Int. J. Constr. Educ. Res. 7 (3): 175–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2010.544155.
Kurnik, C., and C. Woodley. 2011. NREL job task analysis: Energy auditor. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Li, X., P. Wu, G. Q. Shen, X. Wang, and Y. Teng. 2017. “Mapping the knowledge domains of building information modeling (BIM): A bibliometric approach.” Autom. Constr. 84: 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2017.09.011.
Liang, C., W. Lu, S. Rowlinson, and X. Zhang. 2016. “Development of a multifunctional BIM maturity model.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 142 (11): 06016003. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001186.
McAuley, B., A. Hore, and R. West. 2017. BICP global BIM study: Lessons for Ireland’s BIM programme. Dublin, Ireland: Dublin Institute of Technology.
McCuen, T. L. 2014. “Academic interoperability coalition.” In Building Innovation 2014 Conf. & Expo. Washington, DC: National Institute of Building Sciences.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2008. Building information modeling (BIM): Transforming design and construction to achieve greater industry productivity. SmartMarket Rep. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2009. The business value of BIM: Getting building information modeling to the bottom line. SmartMarket Rep. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2010. Green BIM: How building information modeling is contributing to green design and construction. SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, S. A. Jones, M. A. Russo, D. Laquidara-Carr, B. Buckley, and E. Fitch. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2011. Prefabrication and modularization: Increasing productivity in the construction industry. SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, J. Gudgel, M. A. Russo, D. Lquidara-Carr, and E. Fitch. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2012a. Construction industry workforce shortages: Role of certification, training and green jobs in filling the gaps. SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, S. A. Jones, M. A. Russo, D. Laquidara-Carr, and E. Fitch. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2012b. The business value of BIM for infrastructure. SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, S. A. Jones, M. A. Russo, D. Laquidara-Carr, and E. Fitch. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2012c. The business value of BIM in North America: Multi-year trend analysis and user ratings (2007–2012). SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, M. A. Russo, D. Laquidara-Carr, and E. Fitch. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2014. The business value of BIM for construction in major global markets: How contractors around the world are driving innovation with building information modeling. SmartMarket Rep., edited by H. M. Bernstein, S. A. Jones, M. A. Russo, D. Laquidara-Carr, and W. Taylor. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill Construction.
Miettinen, R., and S. Paavola. 2014. “Beyond the BIM utopia: Approaches to the development and implementation of building information modeling.” Autom. Constr. 43: 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2014.03.009.
NBS (National Building Specification). 2017. National BIM report 2017. Newcastle, UK: NBS.
NIBS (National Institute of Building Sciences). 2015. National BIM standard: United States version 3: Transforming the building supply chain through open and interoperable information exchanges. Washington, DC: NIBS.
NSPE (National Society of Professional Engineers). 2013. Professional engineering body of knowledge. Alexandria, VA: NSPE.
OmniClass. 2006. Introduction and user’s guide. Toronto, ON, Canada: OmniClass Construction Classification System (OCCS) Development Committee Secretariat.
Ören, T. I. 2005. “Toward the body of knowledge of modeling and simulation.” In Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conf. (I/ITSEC) 2005, Paper No. 2025. Orlando, FL: National Training and Simulation Association.
Pikas, E., R. Sacks, and O. Hazzan. 2013. “Building information modeling education for construction engineering and management. II: Procedures and implementation case study.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 139 (11): 05013002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000765.
Poerschke, U., R. J. Holland, J. I. Messner, and M. Pihlak. 2010. “BIM collaboration across six disciplines.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering (ICCCBE), 575–671. Nottingham, UK: Nottingham University Press.
Rogers, E. M. 1995. Diffusion of innovation. New York: Free Press.
Russell, D., Y. K. Cho, and E. Cylwik. 2014. “Learning opportunities and career implications of experience with BIM/VDC.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr. 19 (1): 111–121. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000191.
Sabongi, F. J. 2009. “The integration of BIM in the undergraduate curriculum: An analysis of undergraduate courses.” In Proc., 45th ASC Annual Conf. Fort Collins, CO: Associated Schools of Construction.
Sacks, R., and E. Pikas. 2013. “Building information modeling education for construction engineering and management. I: Industry requirements, state of the art, and gap analysis.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 139 (11): 04013016. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000759.
Santos, R., A. A. Costa, and A. Grilo. 2017. “Bibliometric analysis and review of building information modelling literature published between 2005 and 2015.” Autom. Constr. 80: 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2017.03.005.
Schwartz, S. H., and A. Bardi. 2001. “Value hierarchies across cultures: Taking a similarities perspective.” J. Cross Cult. Psychol. 32 (3): 268–290. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022101032003002.
Scranton Gillette Communications. 2015. Building design + construction executive summary: Study of AEC talent recruitment. Arlington Heights, IL: Scranton Gillette Communications/SGC Horizon Research Services.
Sjøgren, J. 2012. “Product and process room business proposition.” Buildingsmart International User Group. Accessed September 1, 2017. http://iug.buildingsmart.org/process.
Smith, D., and M. Tardif. 2009. Building information modeling: A strategic implementation guide for architects, engineers, constructors, and real estate asset managers. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Smith, P. 2014. “BIM implementation: Global initiatives & creative approaches.” In Proc., Creative Construction Conf. 2014, 605–612. Budapest, Hungary: Diamond Congress Ltd.
Succar, B. 2009. “Building information modelling framework: A research and delivery foundation for industry stakeholders.” Autom. Constr. 18 (3): 357–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2008.10.003.
Succar, B., and W. Sher. 2014. “A competency knowledge-base for BIM learning.” Australas. J. Constr. Econ. Build. Conf. Ser. 2 (2): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5130/ajceb-cs.v2i2.3883.
Sydow, J., L. Lindkvist, and R. DeFillippi. 2004. “Project-based organizations, embeddedness and repositories of knowledge: Editorial.” Organ. Stud. 25 (9): 1475–1489. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840604048162.
Turner, J. R., and R. Müller. 2003. “On the nature of the project as a temporary organization.” Int. J. Project Manage. 21 (1): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(02)00020-0.
Wideman, R. M. 1995. “Criteria for a project-management body of knowledge.” Int. J. Project Manage. 13 (2): 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/0263-7863(94)00020-D.
Wolfe, P., M. Wetzel, and G. Harris. 1991. Job task analysis: Guide to good practice. Englewood, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
Wong, A. K. D., F. K. W. Wong, and A. Nadeem. 2010. “Attributes of building information modelling implementations in various countries.” Archit. Eng. Des. Manage. 6 (4): 288–302. https://doi.org/10.3763/aedm.2010.IDDS6.
Woodley, C., and C. DePascale. 2015. Job task analysis: Building commissioning professional, November 2013–December 2014. Washington, DC: National Institute of Building Science.
Wu, W., and R. R. A. Issa. 2013. “Impacts of BIM on talent acquisition in the construction industry.” In Proc., 29th Annual ARCOM Conf., edited by S. D. Smith and D. D. Ahiaga-Dagbui, 35–45. Reading, UK: Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
Wu, W., and R. R. A. Issa. 2014. “BIM education and recruiting: Survey-based comparative analysis of issues, perceptions, and collaboration opportunities.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. 140 (2): 04013014. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000186.
Wu, W., and Y. P. Luo. 2016. “Pedagogy and assessment of student learning in BIM and sustainable design and construction.” J. Inf. Technol. Constr. 21: 218–232.
Wu, W., G. Mayo, T. L. McCuen, R. R. Issa, and D. K. Smith. 2018. “Building information modeling body of knowledge. II: Consensus building and use cases.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 144 (8): 04018066. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001536.
Yalcinkaya, M., and V. Singh. 2015. “Patterns and trends in building information modeling (BIM) research: A latent semantic analysis.” Autom. Constr. 59: 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2015.07.012.
Zhao, D., A. P. McCoy, T. Bulbul, C. Fiori, and P. Nikkhoo. 2015. “Building collaborative construction skills through BIM-integrated learning environment.” Int. J. Constr. Educ. Res. 11 (2): 97–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2014.986251.
Zhao, X. 2017. “A scientometric review of global BIM research: Analysis and visualization.” Autom. Constr. 80: 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2017.04.002.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 144 • Issue 8 • August 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 14, 2017
Accepted: Feb 5, 2018
Published online: May 26, 2018
Published in print: Aug 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Oct 26, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.