Abstract

Over the past five years Building Information Modeling Software (BIM) has made tremendous inroads in the US Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries. The use of BIM software such as Autodesk Revit and ArchiCAD is now common place among large US contractors. BIM models are currently being used for issues such as design, engineering, visualization, conflict resolution, construction simulation, subcontractor co-ordination and cost projection. A survey was conducted of US construction companies to see the trends in how BIM is being used by contractors. Specifically the survey focused on the use of BIM in construction cost estimation. The survey was answered predominantly by the BIM managers of construction companies. The results of the survey are presented in this paper. The overall results of the survey are presented and the results are further broken down by small, medium and large contractors based on the annual revenue of the company. The results revealed that most contractors are using BIM for collision detection and visualization purposes. The results also reveal that those contractors do not necessarily have personnel with expertise in BIM and construction cost estimation that can oversee the integration of BIM with estimating. Several open ended questions were asked to ascertain the uses of BIM in construction and the responses from the BIM managers are presented. Specifically the use of BIM in construction cost estimation is closely examined.