Combining Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Methods with Building Information Modelling (BIM): A Review

Integrating building information to support decision-making has been a key challenge in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The synergy of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is expected to improve information integration and decision-making. The aim of this paper is to identify strategies to improve the synergy between MCDM and BIM. From the earliest literature (2009) to the present, this study examines 45 articles combining MCDM with BIM. We find that the five major application domains are sustainability, retrofit, supplier selection, safety, and constructability. Five established strategies for improving the synergy between MCDM and BIM were discussed and can be used as a benchmark for evaluating the application of decision techniques in practice. This study points out gaps of combining MCDM and BIM in the current literature. It also sheds new light into combining MCDM with BIM for practitioners, as to promote integrated decision-making

AHP based weighting system for BIM implementation & assessment framework

BIM is a newly emerged concept improves the productivity and sustainability of Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) projects. The recent evolution of Building Information Modelling (BIM) reached a bottleneck, where BIM's effectiveness need to be identified for further improvement. It also provides users with a guidance and assistance, with priorities of implementation, is urgently needed. In previous research, a BIM implementation model has been proposed based on existing documentations and verified by Delphi methods for deep exploration in a particular context. As part of this continuous research, the AHP method has been adopted as a follow-up research method which will be presented in this paper. An analytical hierarchy model was concluded for a leading design organisation, including project management, organisational management, BIM application and stakeholder involvement. Ten experienced senior engineers from the management team have participated in the AHP questionnaire. Sensitivity analysis has also been adopted to balance resource input in order to meet specific corporate strategies

A strategic decision making framework for organisational BIM implementation

Decision making during the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in current AEC projects is believed as a key element to improve both BIM performance and project outcome. In order to provide the most informed decision and strategic plan, two vital elements are required: a comprehensive set of decision making criteria and a reasonable priority system. The literature analysis has revealed that existing assessment frameworks have limitations concerning these two elements. Therefore, this research has been designed to develop a more effective BIM evaluation Framework (BeF), to assist new BIM users and also provide a more effective implementation approach for BIM. In order to accomplish this objective, research steps of theoretical and empirical nature have been adopted: (a) a multi-dimensional BIM implementation Framework (BiF) was proposed based on the literature review; (b) use of a case study to test the proposed BiF on a real-life project; (c) a questionnaire approach to test the comprehensiveness of the proposed BiF on an industry level; (d) applying the Delphi method to further refine the proposed criteria in a specific context; (e) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to develop a BeF and providing priority shifting for a more preferable strategic goal in Arup ShenZhen office (ASZ); (f) developing a validation system to prove the efficacy of the proposed BeF. The adoption priority and approach of BIM could be influenced by policies, culture, business structure, legislation etc. As a result, a specific context, China has been selected for this work. The research result could assist decision making in BIM management in the ASZ for a higher BIM performance. The framework by the Delphi method is suitable for the selected context: China. The proposed Delphi and AHP methodological framework can be replicated to assist decision making of BIM management in any AEC organisation

ARGILE: A Conceptual Framework Combining Augmented Reality with Agile Philosophy for the UK Construction Industry

This research makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the area of agile project management and augmented reality visualisation technology. It enables an understanding on how the use of the proposed, designed, and developed ARGILE framework (integration of Agile and Augmented Reality) enhances the collaboration, communication, decision-making, and visual understanding within construction projects. ARGILE changes the current process buildings are designed and built, and consequently contributes to the improvement of the construction project outcomes. This research study seeks the best way to accomplish the research aim, and develops a conceptual framework, which implements a mixed convergent parallel approach in order to discover a rich coherence of the current situation in the design and construction industry; bridges the gap among decision-making, collaboration, communication; and finally facilitates the visual understanding. Consequently, to endorse the validation of the conceptual framework, the triangulation of mixed research methods including qualitative and quantitative to collect the data will be used, followed by a rich analysis and description of the data collected, leading to the design of the ARGILE framework, and ending with two focus groups’ workshops to effectively validate the proposed design and developed ARGILE framework. The main findings of this research are: the successful combination of agile and augmented reality achieved through the development of the ARGILE framework, which contributes to improving and augmenting the decision-making, collaboration, communications, and the visual understanding throughout the design and construction stages. Moreover, the most important outcome of this work is that it enabled the practices to obtain an overview of their current state of decision-making, collaboration, and the visual understanding, assisting in fundamentally changing the current way buildings are designed and constructed. As the design and construction are completely different tasks, but normally treated as one, using ARGILE will help breaking the link by allowing the design stage to spend enough time and conduct productive tests it needs before starting the construction stage on site. ARGILE contains all necessary mechanisms built-in to enable sufficient design, collaboration, decision-making, and client integration