nD enabled construction - how do we get there from here?

ABSTRACT: The processes which traditionally characterise the design and construction industry are incremental and lack effectiveness and efficiency. The From 3D to nD Modelling project is developing an ICT-based building information model to facilitate improved communication and holistic decision-making amongst the multi-disciplinary professionals involved. The nD tool is designed to allow concurrent design changes by all the stakeholders and practitioners involved in the building’s lifecycle – from client requirements, design, construction and maintenance. Whilst the workshops held to date have demonstrated both academic and industrial support for the model and its theoretical approaches, some of the identified barriers to implementation may mean slower uptake by the industry than may be desirable, based on the expected benefits. These barriers are predominantly cultural and social in nature, but also involve technical standards and the integration and inter-operability of these. The implementation issues are discussed in light of business process re-engineering (BPR) literature in order to try to understand how the implementation process can be managed most effectively.

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