Adoption of Building Information Modelling in the construction industry in Kenya

Abstract

The current implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) by construction professionals in the Kenyan construction industry is an area of concern. BIM is increasingly being applied worldwide to improve communication between project stakeholders, visualization of design, detect potential clashes, reduced redesign during project implementation, improve design quality, reduce costs, and improve the rate of return for projects. However, the application of BIM in the Kenyan construction industry is still lagging, resulting in poor co-ordination of information among construction project stakeholders. This study determines the current state of BIM application, the benefits of BIM application and the BIM application barriers in Kenya. A quantitative research approach was used and data was collected, using an online questionnaire survey from 310 registered construction professionals selected by stratified sampling. The benefits and barriers factors that influence BIM application in Kenya were rated and set as the independent variables with ‘years of experience’ and ‘total completed projects’ as the dependent variables. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to extract the main factors for benefits and barriers of BIM implementation. Chi-square tests were used to determine relationships between independent and dependent variables. Improved communication was ranked as the most important BIM benefit, while the high cost of buying and updating software was ranked as the main barrier to the application of BIM. Based on the results of the study, improved design quality is influenced by the number of years of experience one has in the building construction industry. The number of projects undertaken by a company using BIM in any capacity has an influence on greater productivity, due to easy retrieval of information. It is recommended that BIM training should be undertaken by software vendors in vocational and tertiary institutions as well as in construction firms. In addition, the government should formulate policies and standards to support the use of BIM. This study adds to the body of knowledge about BIM application in Nairobi, Kenya that is beneficial to developers, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, contractors, and facility managers.