A Study of the BIM Collaboration Concept to Reduce Building Construction Project Delays in Sri Lanka

The time and cost overruns in construction projects are a usual challenge in the industry. The implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as an evolutionary implement in the construction industry over the past decade, gaining continuous recognition and wider adoption worldwide. This research evaluated the effects BIM has on the construction project delays when compared to the standard practices OF managing construction projects. The literature review revealed significant delays impacting various stages of the project lifecycle, including the design stage, construction phase, and stakeholder communication. The study pointed out, however, that the use of BIM in the management of projects provides a viable mechanism to mitigate these challenges in the Sri Lankan construction industry. To determine the variance between projects utilising BIM and those undergoing conventional practices, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 150 industry experts. Respondents were encouraged to provide insight based on their experiences in the Sri Lankan context since this paper focuses on the impact of BIM on Sri Lanka’s construction industry. 100 respondents were analysed. A single linear regression analysis and an independent t-test were conducted via the SPSS tool. The document also outlines the status of the practice of BIM implementation and its significance in the improvement of project performance. In addition, it explains the need for integration of BIM into the educational curricula of universities and policy of contractual agreements and its utilisation in the industry. However, this research paper has only been able to analyse the delays under three broad categories applicable in Sri Lanka because the causes of delays in construction projects are numerous. In the case of this research, a new avenue was opened for the construction business regarding the impact of BIM on performance and delays towards projects. It complements a paradigm shift in construction management practices by highlighting how BIM can alleviate delays throughout the lifecycle of a project.