Bilal Succar

The rapid pace of digitalisation within the Construction Industry and the divergence from traditional practice inherent to this transformation requires the development of new knowledge to frame these emerging practices. Acting on increasing digitalisation pressures, many national and international standards, protocols, and specifications have been generated with little conceptual framing or with no theoretical underpinning. This positioning paper responds to practical business needs of organisations and project teams, builds upon existing conceptual constructs, and delivers a modular information management framework. The Lifecycle Information Transformation and Exchange (LITE) framework is an extendable conceptual skeletal for defining, managing, and integrating project and asset information. Developed, described, and explained for ongoing field testing, the LITE framework integrates multiple components-information statuses, states, milestones, flows, gates, routes, loops, actions, sets, and tiers-which collectively lay the foundations for an open access digital platform being developed by an international Community of Research and Practice. The framework describes-and aims to predict-information flows across an asset's lifecycle. Its modular conceptual structure, iterative flows, and task-oriented terminology are calibrated to guide the integrated design, delivery, and utilisation of assets of any type, function, or scale.

The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) across markets is a pertinent topic for academic discourse and industry attention. This is evidenced by the unrelenting release of national BIM initiatives; new BIM protocols; and candidate international standards. This paper is the second part of an ongoing Macro BIM Adoption study: the first paper " Macro BIM Adoption: Conceptual Structures " (Succar and Kassem, 2015) introduced five conceptual models for assessing macro BIM adoption across markets and informing the development of BIM adoption policies. This second paper clarifies how these models are validated through capturing the input of 99 experts from 21 countries using a survey tool; highlights the commonalities and differences between sample countries with respect to BIM adoption; and introduces sample tools and templates for either developing or calibrating BIM adoption policies. Survey data collected indicate that all five conceptual models demonstrate high levels of 'clarity', 'accuracy' and 'usefulness', the three metrics measured. They also indicate (1) varying rates of BIM diffusion across countries with BIM capability near the lower-end of the spectrum; (2) varying levels of BIM maturity with-the mean of-most macro BIM components falling below the medium level; (3) varying diffusion dynamics across countries with the prevalence of the middle-out diffusion dynamic; (4) varying policy actions across countries with a predominance of the passive policy approach; and (5) varying distribution of diffusion responsibilities among player groups with no detectable dominant pattern across countries. The two papers provide an opportunity to improve our understanding of BIM adoption dynamics across countries. Future research can build upon the models and tools introduced to enable (a) an expansion of benchmarking data through surveying additional countries; (b) identifying BIM adoption changes in surveyed countries over time; (c) correlating changes in adoption rates/patterns with policy interventions; (d) identifying BIM policy variations within the same country; (e) establishing statistical correlations between the conceptual models; and (f) developing new tools to facilitate BIM policy development and encouraging BIM adoption.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the current expression of construction industry innovation generating a wide range of augmented market deliverables, new requirements and emergent roles. For organizations to cross the innovation chasm, they need to progressively implement complementary tools, workflows and protocols. Such multifaceted implementation is not instantaneous but passes through recursive periods of implementation readiness, capability acquisition, and performance maturity. Similarly, BIM diffusion within organizations is not a frictionless derivative of BIM implementation, but a function of competition dynamics and institutional isomorphic pressures. While there are a number of academic studies and industry surveys covering organisational readiness, software implementation or innovation diffusion, there is no single conceptual model to describe, explain and test BIM adoption as a single construct connecting all these concepts. Based on published research and experiential knowledge, this paper introduces the Point of Adoption (PoA) model which integrates these concepts into a single visual model. The PoA model – not only clarifies the connection between these concepts but – facilitates the assessment of current organisational abilities, and clarifies a step-wise approach to BIM adoption and continuous performance improvement.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) concepts and workflows continue to proliferate within organisations, through project teams, and across the whole construction industry. However, both BIM implementation and BIM diffusion are yet to be reliably assessed at market scale. Insufficient research has been conducted to date towards identifying the conceptual structures that would explain and encourage large-scale BIM adoption. This paper introduces a number of macro-adoption models, matrices and charts (Fig. 1). These models can be used to systematically assess BIM adoption across markets, and inform the structured development of country-specific BIM adoption policies.

This research is published in two complementary papers combining conceptual structures with data collected from experts across a number of countries. The first paper “Macro-BIM adoption: conceptual structures” delimits the terms used, reviews applicable diffusion models, and clarifies the research methodology. It then introduces five new conceptual constructs for assessing macro-BIM adoption and informing the development of market-scale BIM diffusion policies. The second paper “Macro-BIM adoption: comparative market analysis” employs these concepts and tools to evaluate BIM adoption and analyse BIM diffusion policies across a number of countries. Using online questionnaires and structured interviews, it applies the models, refines the conceptual tools and develops additional assessment metrics. The two papers are complementary and primarily intended to assist policy makers and domain researchers to analyse, develop and improve BIM diffusion policies.

Professional, organisational and educational institutions have started to adopt BIM software tools and adapt their existing delivery systems to satisfy evolving market requirements. To enable individuals within these organisations to develop their BIM abilities, it is important to identify the BIM competencies that need to be learned, applied on the job, and measured for the purposes of performance improvement. Expanding upon previous research, this paper focuses on individual BIM competencies, the building blocks of organisational capability. The paper first introduces several taxonomies and conceptual models to clarify how individual competencies may be filtered, classified, and aggregated into a seed competency inventory. Competency items are then fed into a specialised knowledge engine to generate flexible assessment tools, learning modules and process workflows. Finally, the paper discusses the many benefits this competency-based approach brings to industry and academia, and explores future conceptual and tool development efforts to enable industry-wide BIM performance assessment and improvement.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and workflows continue to proliferate within the Design, Construction and Operation (DCO) industry. To equip current and future industry professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in collaborative workflows and integrated project deliverables, it is important to identify the competencies that need to be taught at educational institutions or trained on the job. Expanding upon a collaborative BIM education framework pertaining to a national BIM initiative in Australia, this paper introduces a conceptual workflow to identify, classify, and aggregate BIM competency items. Acting as a knowledge-base for BIM learners and learning providers, the aggregated competency items can be used to develop BIM learning modules to satisfy the learning requirements of varied audiences - be they students, practitioners, tradespeople or managers. This competency knowledge-base will facilitate a common understanding of BIM deliverables and their requirements, and support the national efforts to promote BIM learning.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools and workflows have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of design, construction and operation activities. Numerous BIM deliverables and their respective requirements have been widely discussed by industry stakeholders. This is evidenced by the intensity of online communications surrounding BIM topics and the accelerating availability of noteworthy BIM publications (NBP)s. NBPs are publically-available industry documents incorporating guidelines, protocols and requirements focusing on BIM deliverables and workflows. These publications are the product of various governmental bodies, industry associations, communities of practice and research institutions, intended to facilitate BIM adoption, and realize BIM’s value-adding potential.
A specialized taxonomy is employed to analyze 57 noteworthy BIM publications from across eight countries selected for their active BIM scene. The BIM knowledge content (BKC) taxonomy includes three knowledge content clusters (guides, protocols and mandates) subdivided into 18 knowledge content labels (e.g. report, manual, and contract). Ten of these content labels are used to analyze and compare publications from Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Preliminary content analysis is then performed which provides insight into the availability and distribution of BIM knowledge within noteworthy BIM publications. The analysis identifies knowledge gaps within publications and highlights opportunities for future research and complementary publication efforts.
This chapter contributes to organizing BIM knowledge as contained within numerous noteworthy BIM publications and – by that - facilitates targeted access to their content. It provides a knowledge repository for construction industry stakeholder’s to utilize during BIM implementation and a research base for investigators seeking to identify and address knowledge gaps across the BIM domain.

BIM concepts and tools have now proliferated across the construction industry. This is evidenced by the comparative results of BIM adoption rates reported through a number of industry surveys. However these surveys typically cover a small number of industry stakeholders; are intended to establish adoption rates by organizations rather than markets; and are unsupported by theoretical frameworks to guide data collection and analysis. Based on a published theoretical framework, this paper proposes three metrics to augment survey data and help establish the overall BIM maturity of countries. These metrics apply to noteworthy BIM publications (NBP)s and assess their BIM knowledge content (BKC). NBPs are publically-available industry documents intended to facilitate BIM adoption; while BKCs are specialized labels (e.g. report, manual, and contract) used to describe NBP contents. The three metrics – NBP availability, NBP content distribution, and NBP relevance - are applied in assessing the knowledge deliverables of three countries –  United States, United Kingdom and Australia - chosen for their similar construction culture and active BIM scene. The paper then discusses how these complementary metrics can inform policy development and identify market-wide knowledge gaps.

The term Building Information Modelling (BIM) refers to an expansive knowledge domain within the design, construction and operation (DCO) industry. The voluminous possibilities attributed to BIM represent an array of challenges that can be met through a systematic research and delivery framework spawning a set of performance assessment and improvement metrics. This article identifies five complementary components specifically developed to enable such assessment: (i) BIM capability stages representing transformational milestones along the implementation continuum; (ii) BIM maturity levels representing the quality, predictability and variability within BIM stages; (iii) BIM competencies representing incremental progressions towards and improvements within BIM stages; (iv) Organizational Scales representing the diversity of markets, disciplines and company sizes; and (v) Granularity Levels enabling highly targeted yet flexible performance analyses ranging from informal self-assessment to high-detail, formal organizational audits. This article explores these complementary components and positions them as a systematic method to understand BIM performance and to enable its assessment and improvement. A flowchart of the contents of this article is provided.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an expansive knowledge domain within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. To allow a systematic investigation of the domain, research is needed to define BIM knowledge components, connect its divergent fields and delineate its expanding boundaries. This paper introduces a research framework for identifying BIM concepts and a methodology for capturing and representing BIM interactions. It also proposes visual models to elicit expert knowledge and identifies further research requirements.

Succar, B., Sher, W., & Aranda-Mena, G. (2007). A Proposed Framework to Investigate Building Information Modelling Through Knowledge Elicitation and Visual Models, Australasian Universities Building Education (AUBEA2007). Melbourne, Australia.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a set of technologies, processes and policies enabling multiple stakeholders to collaboratively design, construct and operate a facility.
There are numerous challenges attributed to BIM adoption by industry and academia. These represent a number of knowledge gaps each warranting a focused investigation by domain researchers. This study does not isolate a single gap to address but espouses a holistic view of the knowledge problem at hand. It contributes to the discussion a set of conceptual constructs that clarify the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain. It also introduces a number of practicable knowledge tools to facilitate BIM learning, assessment and performance improvement.
This study is delivered through complementary papers and appendices to answer two primary research questions. The first explores the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain whilst the second probes how these knowledge structures can be used to facilitate the measurement and improvement of BIM performance across the construction industry.
To address the first question, the study identifies conceptual clusters underlying the BIM domain, develops descriptive taxonomies of these clusters, exposes some of their conceptual relationships, and then delivers a representative BIM framework. The BIM framework is composed of three-axes which represent the main knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain and support the development of functional conceptual models.
To address the second question, BIM framework structures are extended through additional concepts and tools to facilitate BIM performance assessment and development of individuals, organizations and teams. These additional concepts include competency sets, assessment workflows and measurement tools which can be used to assess and improve the BIM performance of industry stakeholders.
In addressing these research questions, a pragmatic approach to research design based on available literature and applicable theories has been adopted. By combining several research strategies, paradigms and methods, this study (1) generates several new conceptual structures (e.g. frameworks, models and taxonomies) which collectively clarify the knowledge structures underlying the BIM domain; and (2) develops a set of workflows and tools that facilitate BIM assessment, learning and performance improvement.
This study delivers an extendable knowledge structure upon which to build a host of BIM performance improvement initiatives and tools. As a set of complementary papers and appendices, the study presents a rich, unified yet multi-layered environment of conceptual constructs and practicable tools; supported by a common framework, a domain ontology and simplified visual representations. Individually, each paper introduces a new framework part or solidifies a previous one. Collectively, the papers form a cohesive knowledge engine that generates assessment systems, learning modules and performance improvement tools.

This inaugural BIM Dictionary presentation was delivered at MelBIM on April 13, 2016. The 20-minutes presentation briefly introduced BIM Excellence and its not-for-profit BIM Excellence Initiative. It then explained what the dictionary covers and the different attributes of a single Dictionary Item. Following an online presentation http://BIMdictionary.com, the presentation explained how several hundred Dictionary Items are connected to other 'knowledge blocks' - e.g. Competency Items, Model Uses and Document Types – to form a Modular Language. A workflow is then shown using these knowledge blocks as an example of how the expanding Modular Language can be used to generate workflows, guides and templates. The presentation ended by providing a list of planned BIM Dictionary features and identifying how practitioners, researchers and institutions can support or sponsor this effort.
If interested in learning more about the BIM Excellence Initiative, contributing to this effort, or becoming a sponsor, please contact bsuccar@bimexcellence.com; thank you.

These are the "BIM Policy Assessment and Development" slides presented at the European BIM Summit held in Barcelona on Feb 18, 2016. The presentation slides presents: five models for BIM policy assessment and development;  sample of results from an international BIM policy; a case of BIM roadmap development; a BIM Knowledge Content Taxonomy for organising  BIM publications, and template for developing national BIM roadmaps.