Exploring the evidence of bim collaboration in Zambia
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Date
2020
Authors
Wachata, Muhetu
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Collaboration is critical to the successful implementation of construction projects; the sharing of knowledge and information on a construction project is one of the key factors of a successful contractual relationship. Currently, the visualization, coordination and management of project life-cycle data in the construction industry has been enhanced due to the availability of a wide range of Building Information Modelling (BIM) software, which enable construction industry practitioners to create intelligent BIM models. The aim of the research was to explore the evidence of BIM collaboration in the Zambian construction industry by conducting a comparative study of the private and public sectors of the industry. The objectives of the study were to determine the degree to which BIM is perceived to have been adopted in the Zambian construction industry. The study further identified the challenges and opportunities in the implementation of BIM in the management of construction projects in Zambia. The research also investigated how effectively project team members perceived to have collaborated on a project. The data collection techniques included literature review, structured interviews, questionnaire surveys and case studies. A total of 60 questionnaires were issued and 54 questionnaires were returned indicating a response rate of 90%, the questionnaire survey results were complemented by interviews carried out with ten participants. Further two case studies were reviewed: The Proposed E.I.Z Headquarters at the Agricultural & Show Society Grounds in Lusaka and The Proposed Expansion of National Science Center in Lusaka from the private and public sectors of the construction industry respectively. The study established that individual discipline based BIM software are already being used in Zambia with project team members working at BIM level 1. However, the main barriers hindering full BIM adoption are the prohibitive cost of setting up BIM and lack of Government will and support in terms of policy in BIM implementation. It was further established that mostly it was the Architects who were fully aware of the benefits of BIM collaboration. Being among the first such investigations to be conducted at this level in Zambia, it is expected that information brought out in this study would assist the Zambian construction industry sectors to comprehend and increase their utilisation of BIM in project management processes. Further, the identified challenges and strategies in this study would help project teams in Zambia to plan for the effective utilization of BIM in their future projects.
Keywords: Building Information Modelling, Collaboration, Zambia Construction Industry
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Thesis
Keywords
Building information modelling--Zambia