Issues to be addressed with current BIM adoption prior to the implementation of BIM level 3

Whilst the uptake and requirement for BIM to be implemented on construction projects is growing, there is evidence to suggest that confusion exists throughout the industry with regards to the requirements of the varying levels of maturity. This confusion could potentially bring rise to legal disputes, particularly as the UK Government further emphasises BIM implementation on public sector projects under the 'Digital Built Britain' strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the problem areas which will require attention in order to allow progression to further levels of maturity, with attention to the issues which have arisen through the current BIM Level 2 adoption from the perspective of the BIM practitioners. The research was undertaken in the form of semi-structured interviews with cross-disciplinary BIM stakeholders, where qualitative data was collected to highlight the views garnered from across the UK construction industry. The findings identified a level of dubiety in the interpretation of the BIM maturity levels throughout the industry, with participants highlighting issues with communication of client requirements. The results also identified that a large proportion of the construction industry, particularly the private sector where the costs of BIM implementation are considered as very high, is resorting to traditional systems of work. Notably, all participants in the study felt that the implementation of BIM Level 3 is unlikely to come to fruition in the near future as a result of the issues encountered during the current adoption of BIM Level 2, such as skillset inconsistencies and software coordination. Based on this, we propose a way of presenting the benefits of BIM to Clients in order to avoid resorting to more traditional approaches and call for a development of an adoptable standardised system for Clients to communicate their Employer Information Requirements in order to reduce the concern and potential disputes over sharing of information.