Exploring the potential, challenges and benefits of successful BIM implementation from a developing country’s perspective

Unlocking Efficiency with BIM in Nigerian Construction: A Study of Benefits and Challenges

Inefficiencies characterise the Nigerian construction sector, with more than 60% of projects being delayed and cost overruns of around 20%-30%. Some of the causes include lack of effective collaboration among stakeholders, utilisation of manual 2-dimensional drawings, and poor digitisation. Building Information Modelling can help address these challenges by bringing together all multidisciplinary information of projects into one centralised digital model to foster collaboration, facilitate clash detection, and predict resources. This research paper aimed to examine the benefits and barriers to BIM implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. This was accomplished using a mixed methodology, which included the administration of surveys to 102 construction professionals and the creation of Revit 2021 models for a commercial complex. The survey data were analysed through nonparametric analysis (Spearman\'s Rho) and indicated that the two most important barriers to BIM are lack of technical skills (x̄ = 4.08) and software costs (x̄ = 4.06), while the three most prominent benefits are facility management support (x̄ = 3.92), sustainability (x̄ = 3.89), and reduction of timelines (x̄ = 3.87). Strong relationships existed between collaborative designs and clash detections (rho = 0.704) and BIM usage and organisational adoption (rho = 0.711). Revit model revealed that there were 25 design conflicts in a fictitious commercial structure. This process was estimated to take about 15% less time and cost 10% less money than traditional 2D modelling. The results of this investigation indicate that there is a need to introduce BIM training into the curriculum, provide subsidies from the government for the software, implement BIM throughout the country, and conduct awareness programs.

Enabling BIM Adoption in Nepal’s Construction Industry: Barriers and Strategic Interventions

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has emerged as a transformative digital approach in the global construction industry, enabling improved collaboration, information management, and project performance throughout the project lifecycle. Nevertheless, its use in Nepal is still in its infancy, and it is predominantly used in basic applications like the visualization of designs and the calculation of quantities. This study aims to investigate the level of adoption of BIM in the construction sector of Nepal. This study also identifies the barriers to the implementation of BIM in the construction industry in Nepal. The survey was systematic and applied to a sample of 45 professionals in the areas of architecture, engineering and construction. The major factors that prevent adoption of BIM were found to be lack of clear government regulations and national standards, inaccessibility of professional training, high costs of software and implementation and organizational resistance to change. Meanwhile, stakeholders in the industry were at a clear consensus on the necessity to establish national BIM guidelines, to incorporate BIM education in university courses, and offer strategic incentives to use it. Overall, the study concludes that the need to adopt a coordinated and collaborative strategy by the government, in conjunction with industry and academic institutions, to enable BIM to be implemented and the long-term modernization and digital transformation in the construction industry in Nepal.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) adoption in developing economies: an analysis of barriers, critical success factors, and a public infrastructure viability framework

BIM-Safety Integration in the Nigerian Construction Industry Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model

Health and Safety (H&S) challenges are a significant concern in the Nigerian construction industry, largely due to the lack of a reliable national accident database and the persistence of a fatalistic safety culture. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a transformative digital framework that enables visual hazard identification and proactive risk simulation; however, its use in site safety management remains limited and inconsistent. This study investigates the behavioural, social, and structural determinants influencing the adoption of BIM-based H&S practices among construction professionals, utilising the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A hypothetical multi-level design was used to model individual professional behaviours as indicators of broader organisational capability. The model was empirically validated using online survey data from 225 professionals across client, contracting, and consulting firms, as well as academia. Structural path modelling was conducted using SPSS/AMOS V23, and moderation analysis was performed with PROCESS macro-4.2. Findings demonstrate that performance expectancy (β = 0.77, p<0.05), effort expectancy (β = 0.48, p<0.05), and social influence (β = 0.25, p<0.05) positively affect behavioural intention to use BIM for safety management. Facilitating conditions were also found to positively influence actual BIM usage for safety management (β = 0.66, p<0.05) and negatively moderated the relationship between behavioural intention and actual BIM usage (β = –0.0431, p < 0.05) contrary to the study hypothesis. The study outlines a four-pronged strategic roadmap: establishing decentralised, self-sustaining data environments through cloud-hybrid Common Data Environments (CDEs); employing 4D phase-simulation animation loops to address multilingual and site literacy barriers during daily toolbox talks; reducing technical barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through lightweight mobile-BIM interfaces; and fostering top-down behavioural compliance via client-mandated procurement clauses and standardized institutional codes from professional regulatory bodies. This research advances the UTAUT model beyond general IT adoption to the safety-critical context of construction engineering and provides empirical evidence of the structural enablers required to shift the construction sector in developing countries from reactive accident management to a proactive, data-driven safety culture.

Exploring opportunities and challenges of BIM adoption in Kazan’s construction sector

Traditional methods still occupy an irreplaceable part in the construction industry of the Russian Federation. However, due to the development of technology, traditional technologies begin to demonstrate worse results, if new ones are applied. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is one of the modern technologies that allows us to create an information model for the construction industry, with co-dependent parameters, which avoids large number of human errors when editing parameters, automatically changing them in the order of dependence. Due to the limited consideration of BIM adoption in Kazan, this study aims to assess the implementation of BIM in Kazan in the field of construction industry. The study examines the main factors of BIM integration, both opportunities and barriers. The study is designed to identify the key advantages and barriers of BIM adoption and the opportunities for its application. A mix of qualitative and quantitative questionnaire was adopted for the purpose of the study. Among 215 questionnaires distributed, 178 responses were received. IBM SPSS method was then used for data analysis. The results revealed that among the 30 benefit factors, early visualization of the project and clash detection capabilities are the key benefit factors. Whereas, among the 32 barrier factors, the lack of experience in organizations, software license cost, and imperfect training system are among the most significant challenges of BIM adoption in Kazan. Overall, the survey reveals that adoption of BIM is mainly hindered by internal organizational limitations, high costs, and technical interoperability issues, whereas external factors such as policy support and stakeholder collaboration are seen as less pressing but still relevant to successful BIM integration.

BIM Integration in Civil Engineering Curricula: Maturity Assessment, Pilot Testing, and Roadmap Design

The growing digitalization of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has increased the demand for graduates with strong BIM-related competencies, yet many undergraduate programs—particularly in emerging economies—still approach BIM in a fragmented and software-centered way. This study reports the development and implementation of a structured educational strategy for integrating building information modeling (BIM) into the civil engineering curriculum of a Brazilian public university. The intervention followed a four-phase process: (1) assessment of institutional BIM maturity using a customized 16-indicator matrix, which classified the program at the initial level ( MI = 37.5 % ); (2) curriculum mapping across 66 courses, revealing that 56.1% had potential for BIM integration; (3) pilot implementation in four core courses using project-based and team-based learning; and (4) creation of a long-term institutional roadmap aligned with national policies such as the Brazilian BIM Strategy. Survey results from 43 students indicated moderate to high satisfaction with the learning experience (mean scores between 3.84 and 4.35 on a 1–5 scale) and modest perceived gains in BIM conceptual understanding. Iterative refinements addressed gaps in digital literacy, assessment design, and faculty alignment. The proposed roadmap offers a replicable, evidence-based, and context-sensitive approach for institutions—particularly those in emerging-economy contexts, including but not limited to Latin America—seeking to scale BIM integration in engineering education.