BIM Processes

in Projects

Ts Dr Juliana Brahim
The Malaysian construction industry has been categorised as
inefficient and in need of structural and cultural reform (Haron
, 2013) because of the fragmentation among construction
professionals, failure to complete construction projects within a
stipulated time period and cost overruns (Haron, 2013;
CIDB, 2016). Therefore, the Malaysian construction industry
took the initiative by using BIM in projects in the year 2007 for
overcoming the situation in the industry (PWD, 2014). The
implementation of BIM has covered several BIM uses: 3D
visualisation, design review, clash analysis, quantity take off
and operation and maintenance (Ahmad Latiffi et al., 2016).
To support the improvement process, several
government-related bodies have started to promote BIM in the
Malaysian construction industry.
BIM implementation in Malaysia construction projects is
mainly driven by private sector but is initiated by Malaysian
government (CREAM, 2014). The implementation of BIM in
Malaysia construction projects has been introduced by the
Director of Public Works Department (PWD) in 2007. The idea
occurs when the government aware about the benefits of BIM to
reduce construction cost overrun, avoid project delay, and
design problem during construction stage (Public Works
Department (PWD), 2013; Ahmad Latiffi et al., 2013).
RIBA Outline Plan of Work has been developed as a guideline
in implementing BIM in projects (Sinclair, 2012). According to
Sinclair (2012), this new overlay work process is developed
based on the familiar used of RIBA Plan of Work. In addition to
that, this new work process for BIM could be useful as a
guideline for an architect and other construction professionals in
using BIM in more efficient, intelligent and cost effective
design process (Sinclair, 2012).
 RIBA Plan of Work 2020 includes three major
changes from the 2013 version:
Sustainable outcomes
A key change in emphasis is to challenge architects and
design teams to design with a focus on sustainable
outcomes from the outset of the project. These
outcomes and associated targets should be defined and
agreed with the client during Stage 1 briefing, reality-
checked throughout the design and construction
process, and finally verified in Stages 6 and 7 post
occupancy evaluation. The definition of sustainable
outcomes and associated metrics, together with current
tools for measurement and verification, are included in
the RIBA Sustainable Outcomes Guide.

That introduced Stage 0, which ensures a building project is the

best means of achieving the client requirements, and Stage 7, to
acknowledge the life of a building in use until a new Stage 0 –
and project – begins. after five years of use and feedback from architects and the
broader construction industry, including clients and architects,
the Plan of Work has again been updated and the 2020 version i
s now live
.
From the BIM work process, it can be understood that the work process differs from the conventional
work process due to the development of the project design into a 3D model that can be utilised
throughout the project lifecycle. Moreover, the process also proves that the use of BIM is not only by
means of using the related software but also the necessity of gathering project information for
conducting a project assessment for improving future projects. Therefore, due to the differences in the
work process, the BEP is needed for ensuring the success of the BIM work process as it is seen as an
important document that could guide construction professionals in implementing the work process.
Hence, construction professionals need to understand the work processes involved in BIM as well as
the components that can assist in the implementation. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the
process involved varies depending on the BIM uses as well as the delivery method of projects (
Hadzaman et al., 2016).

file:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/2020RIBAPlanofWorkoverviewpdf.pdf
Unlike traditional DBB with BIM, the process in Figure 2.6 is changed by the introduction
of the BIM manager. The BIM manager will take the lead in controlling the flow of design
information to, from and within the design team thereby ensuring that the design is
coordinated with other disciplines. Once the design is completed, the flow of information
about the design for construction purposes will also be led by the BIM manager with the
contractor, sub-contractors and the suppliers (Barnes and Davies, 2014).
As can be seen, the process of DBB differs in how the information for the project
design is shared between construction professionals after the introduction of the BIM
manager. The involvement of a BIM manager for utilising the BIM concept should ensure
that the design produced by the design team is well coordinated before it can be used by the
contractor. This is compared to traditional DBB where the design is developed separately
and not coordinated with other members of the design team leading to clashes that will
require changes during construction.
a BIM manager will assist the contractor in managing the development of the project design
with the design team. This is to ensure that the design is well coordinated with other
disciplines (Barnes and Davies, 2014). Not only that, the BIM manager will also share the
information on design with the contractor, sub-contractors and suppliers for construction
purposes. It is expected that the construction will require less rework due to the design
changes. In summary, the process is also changing with the introduction of the BIM
manager to manage the development of the project design and to ensure that the design
team work collaboratively with others to produce a coordinated design. The changes of the
process could help reduce rework due to design changes.

From the explanation of BIM implementation in the different project delivery methods, it
can be seen that BIM requires changes in work activities as well as the introduction of new
BIM-related personnel. The BIM-related designation is needed to ensure that construction
professionals could execute BIM according to the concept and to help them use BIM
technology, such as BIM software.
BIM Process in Design-Bid-Build
(DBB) Project at Pre-
Construction Phase
 There are five (5) activities involved at the pre-construction phase: the development
of BEP, conceptual design, preliminary design, detail design and construction drawing. The
respondents involved at this phase were the architect, C&S and M&E engineers and QS.
Those respondents were in a similar organisation in implementing BIM in the project. The
BIM activities began at the pre-construction phase with the process of developing BEP for
the project based on the client specification. Despite being an architect, R9 also acted as a
project leader in defining the BEP for the client.

“I will act as an architect and a project leader to ensure that the project team
delivers BIM requirements. As a project leader, I will guide … the process of developing
BEP for the project. BEP will be prepared based on the specification of the client and will
be used as a guideline by the project team.”

The responsibility of R9 as a project leader was due to the project client’s lack of Upon the completion of the BEP, R3 and R4 stated that the BIM activities started with
knowledge and experience of BIM. Hence, the project leader helped the client to identify the conceptual design, which is important for the architect and other design consultants to
BIM requirements and use the information for developing the BEP, which is a document understand the nature of the site conditions. The conceptual design consists of the specifications
that specifies the BIM requirements that need to be delivered in a project. This is supported of the project such as the spatial area, the function of the project, type of construction as well as
by MacArthur and Sun (2015) and Hadzaman et al. (2016) where the BEP is used as a tool a basic assessment of its functional and economic liability (Eastman et al., 2011; Azhar, 2012).
in providing standardised workflow and guidance for BIM implementation. The project Meanwhile, the C&S engineer used Civil 3D software for conducting site analysis. The purpose
design could then be developed from the BEP. of site analysis was to produce a survey plan. Only then, could the C&S engineer develop a 3D
model for a site survey. The C&S engineer will pass the model to the architect to provide the site
topography. By using 3D models, the C&S engineer could have a clear picture of the existing
site conditions as a record for future development. Then, the C&S engineer will propose
earthworks based on the topography by using Civil 3D software. Similarly, the architect will
produce a massing model based on the Schedule of Accommodation (SOA) of the project. Then,
the conceptual design will be proposed to the client for approval.
When the client approves the conceptual design, then the design consultants - an
architect and a C&S engineer will further develop the preliminary design of the project. R9
mentioned that the architect will develop a preliminary design by producing a massing model
using Revit Architecture based on the SOA set by the client. The SOA is a document that
consists of a list of types, numbers, size of spaces and technical requirements for each space. The
respondents added that the architectural model for producing the conceptual design is at LOD
100, which will be stated in the BEP. Both the architect and C&S engineer use Revit
Architecture and Revit Structure for developing the project design. At this stage, R18
highlighted that an M&E engineer will only provide an input on the M&E specification to the
architect and C&S engineer at the preliminary design stage.
 Only then will the architect acting as the project leader
conduct clash analysis to detect any potential design clashes
between the architecture and the structural design. Naviswork
Manage software is used to combine the architecture and structural
design models and detect any potential design clashes. The project
leader will then suggest design amendments to the design
consultant (architect and C&S engineer). Based on the suggestion,
the architect and C&S engineer will further amend the design until The importance of QS providing related information to the design consultant is
it is free from clashes. Once the design is free from clashes, the QS agreed by Monteiro and Martins (2013) and Taihairan and Ismail (2015) because the QS
will generate early cost estimates from the model. At this stage, the needs to ensure that the model provides sufficient design information for estimating,
quantity estimation generated by the QS is classified as a extracting accurate measurements and quantities as well as for documentation. Hence, the
schematic estimation which is a similar situation to that described architect and engineers should be aware of the information from the QS so that they can
by Choi et al. (2015). The purpose of a schematic estimation is to design and extract quantities from the 3D model. R6 also stressed the need to check for
get a rough cost estimation and a feasibility study (Choi et al. shape representation and intersections in the model developed by the design consultant.
, 2015). This practice is also supported by Choi et al. (2015) in developing a framework quantity
After that, the process of developing the design started with takeoff prototype system, where a physical check on the elements in the model is needed to
the presence of the M&E engineer who starts to develop the M&E ensure the accuracy of the calculated quantity.
design in detail. At the same time, R6 highlighted that the QS will R6 further explained that BIM has enabled the QS to do quantity take off more
provide input to the design consultant, to ensure that the model accurately. However, the process of preparing the BQ still proceeds in a conventional way.
could be used for quantity takeoff purposes. This is because the developed 3D model is not able to generate the BQ of the project. The
use of BIM by the QS was only to assist in generating the quantity and cost of material
from the 3D model more accurately and efficiently. Hence, the QS still needs to prepare a
R6 emphasised that, specification for the material as well as contract documents based on 2D data.
When the detailed design is completed for three (3) disciplines, the project leader
“When the client has agreed on the conceptual could combine the models to detect design clashes. Any clashes will be submitted for
design, as a QS, I will provide advice to the architect, amendment. R3, R4, R9 and R18 stated that the responsibilities for amending the design
C&S and M&E engineer, to ensure that the model could remain with the design consultant. Once the design is free from clashes, the QS will
be used for doing quantity take off…I used Cost-X as a generate the quantity take off and provide cost estimations from the 3D coordinated model.
BIM platform in generating quantity take off.” The quantities generated at this stage are also known as detailed estimations, agreeing with
Choi et al. (2015). For construction purposes, the respondents mentioned that a 2D
drawing will be generated from the model. This is because the construction professionals
still rely on the 2D documents as a reference for construction activities.
The process of BIM by the respondents, however, was limited to the pre-
construction phase only. This is because their involvement of BIM currently does not reach
the construction phase. Therefore, the process of BIM at the construction and post-
construction phases could not be provided by the respondents.
BIM Process in Design-Bid-Build (DBB) Project at
Construction Phase
 the activities involved in the process were the development of the 3D model and
the construction drawing. The respondents involved at this phase were the BIM
consultant and the M&E engineer. Referring to the respondents, the implementation of
BIM started after the appointment of the main contractor.
R19 stated that,

“The implementation of BIM in this project was initiated at the When the BEP is completed, the BIM consultant will gather the 2D uncoordinated
construction phase.” designs produced by the client-design consultant and, using Revit Architecture, Revit
Structure and Revit MEP, convert them into a 3D model. The BIM consultant will further
R26 also stated that, combine the architecture, structural and M&E designs for design review and clash analysis.
The purpose of the design review is to verify and validate the suitability of the design with
“BIM was initiated by our client at the construction phase.”
several design alternatives (PWD, 2014). Once the design contains design clashes, the BIM
R19 explained that, due to the design consultant’s lack of capability in using BIM consultant will suggest design changes to the client-design consultant. Similar with the
software, the process of developing the project design by the design consultant for the respondents at the pre-construction phase, any design changes will be produced by the
client was still in 2D documents. Furthermore, R19 highlighted that the 2D drawing used design consultant. When the design is free from clashes, then the BIM consultant will
for construction was also uncoordinated and contained design clashes. Hence, a BIM generate a 2D design for construction purposes.
consultant has been appointed by the main contractor to solve the problems regarding the Nevertheless, while doing the process of developing the 3D model, R19 also
uncoordinated 2D design. mentioned that the main contractor has to start physical work by referring to a 2D
uncoordinated design due to time constraints. This is despite the process of developing a 3D
R19 emphasised that, model and detecting design clashes being achievable before major and massive construction
takes place.
“Due to lack of experience and capability of the design consultant in Due to R26 lacking experience, there is a limited explanation of the process and
delivering BIM, the drawing was still in 2D format and contained design activities at this phase from an M&E perspective. The involvement of M&E in the BIM
clashes. Therefore, as a BIM consultant, we have been appointed to assist the project caused R26 to appoint an M&E sub-contractor for developing the project design
project team to ensure that the design is free from clashes.” using BIM. This practice is also supported by Davies et al. (2015) where 3D design and
analysis is a natural progression for structural designers, although M&E consultants still
Therefore, R19 has been appointed as a BIM consultant to help the main seem to be something of a problem as they typically only produce a concept design,
contractor solve problems regarding the uncoordinated 2D design and delivering a 3D delegating the detailed design of installations to M&E contractors. Furthermore, the
coordinated model. The BIM consultant will further clarify the objectives, as well as involvement of the respondents was also limited to this phase only as the projects were still
BIM uses for the project. It is vital to identify the objectives and uses to ensure that they in progress and have yet to be completed.
could develop the BEP and deliver BIM requirements. The appointment of a BIM
consultant or BIM expert in the project using BIM was to provide the project team with
the experience and skills needed to use BIM in the construction project. This is similar to
the BIM practice identified by Teicholz (2013), Barne and Davies (2014) and Ahn et al.
(2015) where BIM related designation might needed to assist construction professionals
to integrate BIM in their practice.
BIM Process in Design-Bid-Build (DBB) Project at the Post-
Construction Phase
 the activity at this phase was developing the 3D as-built model specifically for
operation and maintenance of the completed building. R11 and R12 explained that their
appointment as BIM facilities manager started after the building was completed without
using BIM.
As highlighted by R11,

“I started to be involved in the project as a facilities manager at the post-

construction phase as the requirement of BIM was initiated at the post-
construction phase… The building is completed without using BIM.”

R12 also emphasised regarding their involvement at the post-construction phase,

“For this project, I have been appointed by the project client as a

facilities manager at the post-construction phase, which was after the building
was completed without using BIM.”
Therefore, R11 and R12 have been appointed by the project client to manage the
operation and maintenance of the building. Their involvement began at the post-
construction phase by getting all the 2D as-built drawings from the main contractor. The
current practices of BIM for Facilities Management stated by R11 and R12 are similar to
those in Kiviniemi and Codinhoto (2014) in the practice in other countries such as Australia,
where BIM is used specifically to model a completed building for FM purposes. The 2D as-
built drawing was converted to a 3D model using Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and
Revit MEP to undertake the design review. Meanwhile, Naviswork Manage was used to
detect design clashes. This is because, the work changes and design clashes that happened
during the construction phase were not updated on the 2D as-built drawing. The inaccuracy
of data in the 2D as-built drawing to be used for developing the 3D as-built model is similar
to that in other countries as stated by Kassem et al. (2015).
As facilities managers, they need to get information regarding the changes from the
main contractor as well as the design consultant for the purpose of the design review and to
detect design clashes until the design is free from clashes. This practice is parallel with
findings from Kiviniemi and Codinhoto (2014) and Ashworth et al. (2016). Once the design
is free from clashes and updated, the facilities manager will update the model with the
assets and inventory of the building for future purposes using Archibus System.
BIM Process in Design and Build (D&B) Project at Pre-
Construction Phase
 Typically, the party that initiated the use of BIM will set BIM objectives and BIM
uses for the project. R17 stated that, as a client of the project, R17 has specified their
objectives in delivering the BIM requirement to the design consultant. In contrast, as a
The respondents were involved as a client and BIM consultant in D&B projects at
BIM consultant, R5 has been appointed by the client to assist in the identification of BIM
this phase. The activities involved were the identification of the project specification, the
objectives and uses.
development of the BEP, conceptual design and the detailed design. R5 has been
appointed by the project client as a BIM consultant and responsible to assist the project R5 highlighted that,
client in delivering BIM. Meanwhile, R17 was a project client and responsible for
monitoring the design consultant in delivering BIM requirements. Both respondents are “As a BIM consultant, we assist our project client to determine the
responsible for assisting and monitoring the project team in developing the project design objective of using BIM in the projects.”
using a 3D coordinated model that is free from clashes.
The process started with the identification of the project specification. Based on
However, R17 stated,
the client specification, the BIM consultant will conduct a BIM Technical-Consultant
Meeting (TCM) and BIM workshop. “As a client, we develop our objectives with BIM uses in BEP.”
R5 further explained that, The appointment of a BIM consultant under the client is due to the client’s lack of
knowledge and experience of using BIM in projects. Therefore, once the identification of
“The purpose of the meeting and workshop was to educate the client on
BIM uses is completed, details of the objectives and uses will be stated in the BEP as
BIM and to clarify the objectives and BIM uses for the project. BIM uses for
mentioned by R5 and R17. This work activity is similar to Eadie et al. (2013) where
the project were to produce a 3D coordinated model and free from design
details of BIM requirements for the implementation of BIM are normally laid down in the
clashes. The outcome from the BIM workshop will be documented in the BEP.”
BEP.
R5 added that most of the project team involved in the TCM and BIM workshop Then, the BEP will be used as a guideline for the project team in delivering the
have no understanding or knowledge of the BIM concept. Therefore, it is important to BIM requirement. R5 and R17 explained that the main contractor will propose a
ensure that the project team and client could understand BIM and to identify what they conceptual design to the client for further approval. Once the client decided to appoint the
are expecting from using BIM. R5 and R17 also mentioned that the output from the TCM main contractor, then the detailed design for the project will be further developed. R5 and
and BIM workshop will be used to develop the BEP for the project. R17 emphasised that, due to the capabilities of the design consultant under the main
contractor, the production of the project design still remains in 2D documents. Therefore,
the BIM consultant needs to convert the 2D design into a 3D model. The purpose of
converting the project design is specified in the BEP, which is to review and conduct
clash analysis. R5 added, once design clashes are detected, the BIM consultant will
suggest design amendments. However, any changes of design can be amended by the
design consultant in the 2D document. After that, the BIM consultant will conduct a
design review and clash analysis until the design is free from clashes.
Nevertheless, due to the limited experience of R5 and R17, the process of work in
the D&B project could only be specified at the pre-construction phase. This is because
their involvement in BIM does not include the construction phase.
 R1 stated,

“The communication among the project team was still based on 2D

documents.”

Also, R7 also stated,

there were two (2) activities involved in this phase. The activities were the development
“We are still using 2D project design as we do not have the capabilities
of the 3D coordinated model and the construction drawing. R1, R15 and R21 were and experience in doing BIM.”
appointed by the main contractor as a BIM consultant. Meanwhile, R2, R7, R8 were
Furthermore, the adoption of BIM in the project was only after the project had
involved as a contractor in the project. R13 and R14 were also involved in this D&B
been awarded to the main contractor.
project as an architect. Only R20 was involved as a C&S engineer. After the appointment Consequently, a BIM consultant has been appointed by the main contractor to
assist them in developing the project design into the 3D model and free from design
of the main contractor by the client, a detailed design of the project will be executed by
clashes. The activities at the construction phase started with the development of the 3D
the design consultant. The design consultant was fallen under the main contractor. coordinated model. R20 also stated that the purpose of developing a 3D model must be
referred to the BIM uses as stated in the BEP. Hence, the 2D project designs were
Respondents R1, R2, R7, R8, R13, R14 and R15 mentioned that the development of the
gathered by the BIM consultant to convert into a 3D model using Revit Architecture,
project design was still in 2D due to the design team lacking the capabilities to grasp the Revit Structure, and Revit MEP and Naviswork Manage for the purpose of analysis.
When design clashes are detected, the BIM consultant will suggest design
BIM concept and BIM software.
amendments to the design consultant. R21 further explained that the responsibilities to
amend the design remain with the design team depending on the trades (architecture,
C&S design and M&E design). This is also agreed by Azhar (2008) and Eastman et al.
(2011) as the design consultant is responsible in any changes and amendments of design.
Then, the BIM consultant will conduct a design review and detect design clashes until
the design is free from clashes. Once the design is free from clashes, a 2D project design
will be generated for construction purposes. However, the respondents also highlighted
that the process of using BIM only happened when the construction was underway using
an uncoordinated 2D design. As a result, the benefit of using BIM could not be reaped
until it is a fully BIM-compliant project.
The intent of the BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is to define a
foundational framework to ensure successful deployment of
advanced design technologies on your BIM enabled project.
The BEP is about optimizing work and model flow across the
project, as contrasted with optimizing siloed interests. The key
is good planning of the design-to-engineering-to-construction
process to minimize downstream surprises, rework,
redundancies or gaps in the flow of (model-based) information.

BEP is a central component of any construction project

using BIM is generally accepted as a means of
implementing BIM.

The BEP is a document used as a tool to provide a

standardized workflow and general guidance for
strategic BIM implementation for a particular BIM
project.
The BEP usually includes the standards, the
responsibilities, and the protocols that are used as a
basis for a BIM project and capture the overall
implementation process for the model generation,
management, project collaboration, information
exchange, BIM deliverables, and project close out.
 BIM USE RANK (1 TO 25)
BIM USE RANK (1
3D Coordination 1 TO 25)
Design Reviews 2 3D Coordination 1
Design Authoring 3 Design Reviews 3
Construction System Design 4 Design Authoring 2
Existing Condition Modelling 5 Construction System Design
3D Control and Planning 6 Existing Condition Modelling
Programming 7 3D Control and Planning
Phase Planning (4D Modelling) 8 Programming
Record Modelling 9 Phase Planning (4D Modelling)
Site Utilisation Planning 10 BIM Record Modelling BIM
Site Analysis 11 Implementation in Site Utilisation Planning
Implementation in
Structural Analysis 12 US Site Analysis Malaysia (Brahim,
Energy Analysis 13 Structural Analysis
2018)
Cost Estimation 14 Energy Analysis
Sustainability LEED Evaluation 15 Cost Estimation 4
Building System Analysis 16 Sustainability LEED Evaluation
Space Management/Tracking 17 Building System Analysis
Mechanical Analysis 18 Space Management/Tracking
Code Validation 19 Mechanical Analysis
Lighting Analysis 20 Code Validation
Other Engineering Analysis 21 Lighting Analysis
Digital Fabrication 22 Other Engineering Analysis
Asset Management 23 Digital Fabrication
Building Maintenance Scheduling 24 Asset Management
Building Maintenance Scheduling 5
Disaster Planning 25 Disaster Planning
The BIM Execution Plan is developed during the early
design stages of a project and is continually
developed, monitored, updated, and revised as needed
through the implementation phase of the project. The
plan should define the scope, the process flow, the BIM
tasks, the information exchanges between parties, and
describe the required project and company
infrastructure needed to support the implementation.
The BIM Execution Plan has been acknowledged as a
living document that usually includes:

•the project scope

•details about the delivery strategy
•definition of the BIM roles and responsibilities
•the project milestones
•the summary of the delivery team's capability and capacity
•the use of the IT resources
•collaboration / data generation / information exchange
•the project's Standard
•the project's Methods and Procedures
•data ownership
•deliverables/project close down
Defining the pre-BEP and post-BEP

In the UK context, the BIM Project Execution Plan is

defined in PAS 1192-2:2013 as a “plan prepared by the
suppliers to explain how the information modelling
aspects of a project will be carried out" The BIM
Execution Plan (BEP or BIMxP) is developed by the
suppliers - typically pre-contract to address the
Employer's Information Requirements (EIR), (in ISO
terms Exchange Information requirements) clarifies
roles and their responsibilities, standards to be applied
and procedures to be followed.

1. To provide evidence to the appointing party that the

prospective delivery team can manage project information in
line with any information requirements provided to them. This
In ISO 19650-2 the BEP has two different purposes in is referred to in ISO 19650-2 as the pre-appointment BEP.
supporting the tender, appointment, and information
delivery activities:
2. To provide a delivery tool that the appointed delivery team
will use to produce, manage and exchange project information
during the appointment alongside other resources. This is
 The delivery team Execution Plan is developed after the
The pre-BIM Execution plan is a response to the
appointment. The delivery team BIM Execution plan
client's Exchange information requirements. The
should be developed and agreed with each appointed
goal of the pre-BEP is to achieve effective
party to reflect their activities, the use of IT, and that
generation, review, approval, and authorization of
they can work in accordance with the overall delivery
information by different parties. In addition, the BEP
team requirements. The Lead appointed party should
ensures that the delivery and distribution of
also consult with the appointing party to agree on any
information is secure and effective.
changes or additions.
In simple terms, the BIM Execution plan defines the
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE in a BIM project. The
simplest way to start designing your project BIM
Execution plan is to use a template as a basis and then
adjust it to your project context, having in mind that a
BEP is usually project-specific and is continually
updated during the project lifecycle.
 THANK YOU

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