Use of BIM for Construction Projects in KP and Its Comparison with Traditional Designs

Abstract

Building Information Modeling (BIM) facilitates better collaboration between project stakeholders, such as architects, engineers, contractors, and clients. BIM allows for real-time 3D visualizations and simulations, enabling stakeholders to better visualize the outcome of projects. BIM, however, demands a heavy upfront investment in software, hardware, and training. On the other hand, Traditional design methods take a linear and sequential path, which has been extensively applied by professionals for decades. Although Traditional approaches are cheaper in the short term, they tend to create inefficient communication and fragmented processes. This paper provides a comparison of BIM and traditional design methods on their impact on cost estimation, project planning, visualization, and stakeholder coordination. It is found that BIM has a significant impact on efficiency, accuracy, and coordination, particularly on large and complex projects with multiple stakeholders. On small projects with limited resources, traditional design is still beneficial. The study highlights the importance of professional and industry-level consciousness to enable the implementation of BIM within KP\'s construction industry.

Introduction

Pakistan’s construction industry has seen significant growth, with a 9.05% increase between 2016 and 2017. However, the sector suffers from delays, cost overruns, and dishonest practices, hampering infrastructure development. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is emerging as a promising technology to address these issues by enabling digital 3D modeling and project simulation throughout the building lifecycle.

BIM integrates tools like Revit (for 3D modeling and cost estimation) and Navisworks Manage (for clash detection, scheduling, and 4D simulation), contrasting with traditional methods that use separate software like AutoCAD (2D drawings), Excel (costing), and Primavera P6 (scheduling). Despite BIM’s advantages, traditional design practices remain dominant in regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The study compares BIM and traditional approaches through four building case studies in KP: a primary school, a residential house, a commercial building, and a hostel. The methodology involved creating 3D BIM models based on 2D drawings and analyzing cost, scheduling, clash detection, and project management.

Key findings include:

• Visualization: BIM with Revit allows easy creation of 3D models and extraction of 2D drawings with additional building data (materials, quantities), unlike AutoCAD’s limited 2D capabilities.

• Cost Estimation: BIM provides more accurate quantity take-offs and cost estimates than traditional Excel-based methods, reducing human error and saving time. Quantity estimation errors with traditional methods were around 5.36%.

• Project Scheduling: Navisworks enables 4D simulation providing clearer visualization of construction phases than traditional Gantt charts in Primavera P6, improving stakeholder understanding and project management.

The paper highlights BIM’s potential to enhance project efficiency and effectiveness in KP’s construction industry and discusses challenges in transitioning from traditional practices.

Conclusion

The following inferences can be made from the comparative study: 1) Traditional processes are flexible and familiar but can be ineffective in collaboration and lead to more errors. 2) BIM offers a simplified workflow, easy importation and exportation of data, and capitalizing on the advantages of BIM for improved design, analysis, and collaboration. 3) Implement BIM in most construction projects, particularly with intricate designs and multiple stakeholders. 4) Evaluate project requirements, size, and complexity to conclude if BIM implementation would benefit significantly. 5) In cases of less complex situations and limited resources and for smaller projects, consider legacy design methods. 6) BIM implementation involves investment upfront, introduces data management as well as interoperability challenges, and is largely dependent on technology. 7) The change will need collaboration among academics and the industry to respond to problems and greater skill and experience in BIM techniques. 8) One of the significant challenges that face BIM adoption in KP\'s construction industry is the inadequacy in terms of skill and awareness because there are inadequate professionals who know about applications such as Robot Structural Analysis. 9) Robot Structure Analysis Software user interface differs a lot from the traditional CSI software, and therefore there exists resistance to the change. Overall, BIM exhibits great benefits in terms of efficiency, precision, and project results, especially for intricate projects and can be extremely important for KP\'s construction industry which is still very much entrenched in the Traditional inefficient but tested approaches.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Nauman Gul, Usama Sher, Farhan Ahmad, Affaan Saeed, Abdul Qadeer. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.