'BIM sols can help construction sector in cost optimisation'

Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions can help reduce the capital cost and carbon footprint by over 20 per cent in the construction sector, says a study.
Conducted by KPMG and RICS School of Built Environment at Amity University and commissioned by 3D designing software maker Autodesk, the study said project delays, cost overruns and liquidity constraints continue to trouble the real estate and construction sectors.
While a number of developed countries across the world have already adopted BIM to reduce project delays and cost overruns, Indian firms are fast adopting BIM, it added.
BIM solutions allow users to construct 'smart' and 'computable' three-dimensional (3D) model of the project to enhance its design, construction and operation.

"Firms involved in built environment sector in India are facing significant schedule and cost overrun on account of poor coordination, wastage of material, significant rework, and lack of information sharing etc," Neeraj Bansal, Partner and Head of Real Estate and Construction Practice, KPMG India said.
BIM, that offers digital representation of the project during its lifecycle, right from planning to execution of the project, is gradually picking up among Indian firms.

"This can significantly improve operational efficiencies leading to reduction in project time and cost overruns that the sector currently faces," Bansal said.
The report said as the awareness for BIM is increasing within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors, around 22 per cent of the firms have already started using BIM.

It said BIM is used most extensively in real estate sector, mostly in design development and construction stage.
Most users who are using BIM fall in the residential segment, building housing projects, followed by those doing mixed land use projects under the commercial category, it said.
The lowest usage was found to be in the non-housing sectors such as industrial and infrastructural developments.
While BIM holds tremendous potential for the construction sector, there are few issues that remain for the use of BIM in the country, said Anil Sawhney, Associate Dean and Director, RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University.

Compatibility between software platforms, availability of skilled resources, and lack of standard processes are among the major challenges deterring usage of BIM technology, he added.
Also, high cost of hardware and software, unavailability of process implementation guidelines and lack of support from the government are some of the other challenges that the industry is facing.