BIM in the AEC Industry

The advancement of technology changed the lives of people in society. In the design
field, technology has advanced architecture and engineering in both theory and practice.
Designers, architects, engineers, and builders have been able to easily communicate their visions
and designs from the mind to 3D to print or tangible existence (DesignBlendz, 2020). The use of
digital technology in the design field, from CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to BIM (Building
Information Modeling) has allowed for a more accurate and efficient workflow while
revolutionizing the client experience.

Technology has been revolutionizing the architecture, engineering, and construction

(AEC) industry. The widespread use of digital technology in design and construction practice has
led to a paced technological transformation and improvement. Ever since CAD (Computer-Aided
Design) was first introduced in the 1960s (Selo, 2018), there has been an advent of new digital
technologies involving both 2D and 3D modeling and design. The adoption of these digital
technologies ultimately conducted a ‘digital transformation’ for the AEC industry in terms of the
“decision-making process and provision of more efficient buildings” (RIBA, 2019). With the
development of building information modeling (BIM), the pace of this digital transformation
continues to accelerate industry-wide.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a software modeling process that architects,

engineers, and contractors use for project collaboration for design and construction operations. It
is a combination of technology and methodology. According to Autodesk (2022), “BIM is a
holistic process of creating and managing information for a built asset, and integrates multi-
disciplinary data to produce a digital representation of an asset across its phases.” BIM is now
enabling worldwide digital transformation in the AEC industries.

Fig. 1. BIM Adoption Curve in the AEC industry

Over the years, the adoption and development pace of BIM practice has accelerated and
improved. However, some countries are still in the early stages of adopting the system and
practice. In the Philippine setting, BIM is still a developing practice. Currently, not all

 architectural firms and construction companies utilize BIM. At the same time, BIM is still not
included in most architecture and engineering educational curriculums. According to Bagcal, et
al (2019), “the high cost of BIM-related software, the lack of skilled BIM operators, and
contentment with the use of current software (CAD) are top reasons that could possibly prevent a
full BIM implementation in the Philippines construction industry.

References:

https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/what-is-bim
https://hmcarchitects.com/news/top-5-benefits-of-bim-construction-2020-05-13/
https://constructible.trimble.com/construction-industry/what-is-bim-building-information-
modeling
https://www.autodesk.com/industry/aec/bim
https://www.designblendz.com/blog/the-power-of-technology-in-architecture-today
https://www.easyrender.com/a/influences-of-technology-on-architecture-and-design
(3) (PDF) Adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the Philippines' AEC Industry:
Prospects, Issues, and Challenges. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
334520134_Adoption_of_Building_Information_Modeling_BIM_in_the_Philippines%27_AEC_
Industry_Prospects_Issues_and_Challenges [accessed Sep 10 2022].