According to a new survey by Timetric’s Construction Intelligence Center, momentum is growing behind the implementation of Building Information Modeling across the construction industry, with the highest percentage of respondents claiming that it will be the future of the industry.

According to the Timetric survey of more than 100 participants in the global construction industry, including contractors, architects, surveyors and technology suppliers, BIM is currently being used, or piloted, by 49 percent of respondents, and is planned to be employed by a further 10 percent in the next 12 months. However, the implementation of BIM is still in a developmental phase, with 9 percent of respondents stating there is no demand, and an additional 16 percent saying the demand is limited. There is also a high degree of uncertainty over the implementation of BIM, with 27 percent of respondents claiming that the industry has still yet to get a clear idea of the technology and how to manage it.

In terms of usage, 82 percent of respondents claim that BIM is being employed on fewer than 25 percdent of their projects; however, this is expected to reduce to 40 percent by 2020, leaving 60 percent of respondents expecting BIM to be used from 26 percent to 100 percent of projects. BIM Level 2, the industry standard is expected to be used by 27 percent in the next two years, with BIM Level 3 being used by 37 percent in the next three to five years, driven by an increase in competition or legislation.

Cost savings and operational efficiency are gaining prominence

According to Timetric's survey, 50 percent of respondents believe cost savings and operational efficiency are the major drivers that influence an organization's decision to implement BIM. Moreover, other major factors supporting BIM implementation include the view that it provides for comprehensive planning, costing and scheduling, and also improved visualization and design quality.

More details here.