BIM and 4D Planning: An Empirical Study of The Industry Uptake and Issues Affecting Their Widespread Use

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its different work-streams such as 4D planning (4D) are currently among the major drivers for change in the construction industry. Previous literature regarding BIM and 4D has endeavored to improve the technologies and prove their benefits within actual projects. There are limited empirical studies, which investigate the industry uptake of 4D and BIM and the factors affecting their widespread use. This paper aims, by using an empirical industry survey of consultants and contractors involved in the UK civil and building industry, to depict a holistic view of the issues hindering the industry uptake of 4D and BIM and present corresponding recommendations for each issue. To achieve this aim, the paper investigates: the current industry uptake of 4D and BIM, existing knowledge and depth of use, levels of understanding of benefits, and limitations to their implementation. The paper concludes that it is essential to direct the research into the non-technical identified issues since unless the gap between technology, end-users and their processes is bridged, usage will continue to be limited.