Bring on the BIM revolution in construction
During my interview with HE Dr Mubarak Al Ahbabi for Big Project ME, I was thrilled to hear him talk about how vital it is that executives and senior management are educated about building information modelling (BIM) and its processes. As long-time readers will know, BIM is something we’re very passionate about, and one of the issues we’ve faced is getting senior level executives and management on board with the concepts of BIM.
Whether it’s for roundtables or for general discussion, we’ve always been handed over to the ‘experts’ and asked to direct our questions to them.
While they’re some of the brightest men and women we’ve had the pleasure of speaking with, talking to them about BIM can only go so far. While it’s great to hear about the ‘nuts-and bolts’ of BIM processes, what can get frustrating is trying to find out about BIM from a strategic and leadership point of view.
That’s why it was so refreshing to have Dr Mubarak tell me that his vision for the Institute of Sustainability and BIM included the education of senior executives and management in the UAE’s government departments and municipalities.
READ MORE: Mubarak Al Ahbabi: the UAE’s BIM visionary
This could be a game-changer in more ways than one. Not only is it likely to have a major impact on how BIM is viewed and understood by the public sector, but it’s also likely to have a knock-on effect, with both private and semi-government developers likely to follow the lead of the government and implement it on their own projects.
That’s going to trickle down into the rest of the construction industry, with the mid-range and smaller contractors also being cajoled into looking at BIM in a new light.
We could finally be seeing the start of the long-awaited BIM revolution, and in my opinion, it’s not a moment too soon. Given the amount of construction work that is going to be up for grabs, BIM is going to be sorely needed to make sure deadlines and budgets are met.
