Attributes of Building Information Modelling and its Development in Hong Kong

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a promising tool for facilitating automation in the construction industry. Since its inception in the early 80s, assisted by advancement in computing technologies, BIM is slowly replacing conventional 2-dimensional CAD technologies in a few countries. Also, standards and guidelines are being developed by various organisations for its unified use on architectural, engineering and construction projects. The attributes of BIM derived from its various definitions are discussed in this paper along with its utilisation trend in Hong Kong. A qualitative consideration of BIM is provided by the item analysis of BIM definitions. Evolution of the perceptions of architectural professionals about BIM in Hong Kong has been investigated by reviewing past studies and by use of a questionnaire survey. The major stakeholders driving the implementation of BIM in Hong Kong are identified. Finally, the studies of five selected cases of BIM implementation in Hong Kong are presented and the lessons learned from these cases are examined.