Fewer than 1 in 6 firms (16%) in the building services sector are ‘fully ready’ to use Building Information Modelling (BIM) on projects, according to new survey findings from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA).
With the government deadline for the mandatory use of ‘BIM Level 2’ in all Whitehall-procured contracts just months away, nearly 6 in 10 firms (57%) said they were not fully ready, while over 1 in 4 (27%) said they were ‘not ready at all’ (please see attached graph).
Yet, despite the above findings, nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) say that BIM Level 2 will be ‘good for the sector’, while almost 6 in 10 (57%) say it will be the ‘future for building services’.
ECA Director of Business Services Paul Reeve commented: “The survey results show that ‘BIM awareness’ is generally high across building services, but many contractors, and others associated with our sector, still have a long way to go to be ready for the government’s 2016 BIM deadline.
"The results indicate that while some companies have already engaged successfully with BIM, many more have yet to engage with the aspects that allow effective information sharing with others in their supply chain.
"In addition to flagging up our findings to government and the industry, we will be working with our ‘BIM readiness’ partners to tackle the important gaps identified by the survey, as soon as possible.”
The sector-wide ‘BIM readiness’ survey was held in conjunction with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and building services and engineering consultancy BSRIA.
CIBSE Technical Director Hywel Davies said: “This survey confirms that whilst there is a growing awareness of Level 2 BIM in the MEP sector, there is still a real need for more information.
“There is also a requirement for specific tools and guidance for the MEP sector, which CIBSE is working closely with industry partners to develop.”
BSRIA's Principal Consultant and BIM specialist John Sands commented: “The figures revealed by the ECA BIM survey show just how much work is still to be done within the building services industry to be ready for Level 2 BIM.
“However, it also demonstrates the positive approach to the changes it will inevitably bring, and that is an important aspect of this survey.”
The survey has attracted sector-wide support, including from SELECT, the Building and Engineering Services Association (B&ES) and BEAMA.
The full results of the survey, which attracted hundreds of responses from contractors and others associated with the sector, will be released shortly.