Toward Adoption of BIM in the Nigerian AEC Industry; Context Framing, Data Collecting and Paradigm for Interpretation

In an effort toward aligning the Nigerian Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector to the international benchmark of practice in adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM), this research aimed to understand the Nigerian AEC context assessing the current state of art in the Architectural firms. The research consisted of: creating a survey to collect data on distance mode; adapting different researches and methods in this field to the local context using European and North American protocols as the basis; helping to inform the discussion on future directions and serve as a basis for developments, based on an assessment model specifically defined for a developing Country and the interpretation of the collected data. Part of the research was a review of literature and case studies to appreciate BIM and its potential to the Nigeria AEC sector. It has been realized that BIM among other means has potential to minimize curb corruption in the construction industry which is a worrisome ongoing issue and a slackening factor for the economic growth. As one of the objectives, a conceptual framework was developed based on the Succar's (2009) BIM maturity matrix: this was considered as the basis for the development of the online questionnaire. It involved assessment of technology, processes, policy and functional targets. The assessment conducted through the survey was explanatory and descriptive by itself. It involved 101 architectural firm registered in Nigeria distributed across selected four cities of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano where more than 60% of the firms in the country are located. An online questionnaire survey - based on FluidSurveys™ tool – was used to administer the survey. The study opted for a three steps analysis: (i) to classify the firms into a 3 level scale based on staff employed; (ii) to assess data by analysing the responses in each category against the BIM maturity models using cross tabulation; (iii) to define the level of each category in its prospect to the BIM adoption using a descriptive analysis. It was found that most of the medium and larger scale firms are significantly catching up toward the BIM practice, but the small scale firms are having setbacks especially in the aspect of process and policy adherence. However, among all the groups, the level of technological workforce toward BIM and digital technology at large was found appreciable

BIM BUSINESS VALUE CREATION FOR SME ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS IN NIGERIA USING INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

BIM has solidified its position in bringing efficiency to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. However, the shift to its adoption and implementation in the emerging markets has brought distortion in both the business processes and environment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME architectural) in the industry. This is due to their limited resources to absorb the initial costs associated with such a shift. The starting point for this study was based on exploring the potentials in the development of Intellectual Capital (IC) of the SME architectural firms. This is because, even if the ability of these firms to mobilise the resources is small, the strategic decisions regarding their orientation towards a higher level of intensity in IC elements are under their control, and that can be a major catalyst for the BIM success. As a result, the study is built on Lu and Sexton’s (2009) Theory of Innovation in Small Professional Firms. Based on this theory, BIM adoption process is approached as a Knowledge-based Innovation which occurs with the development of four IC elements; Human Capital (HC), Relationship Capital (RC) and Structure Capital (SC) through Knowledge Capital (KC) to achieve BIM Business Value Creation (BBVC). This study investigates the theoretical link between the development of these four IC elements and BBVC in SME architectural firms in emerging markets; in this case Nigeria. The aim of the research is to use this evaluation framework to develop a viable business model for management and evaluation of the IC in SME architectural firms towards BBVC. The study is designed in three stages, namely through empirical enquiry, analysis, and synthesis. The empirical enquiry comprises theory formulation and fieldwork data collection; theory formulation is achieved through proposing an evaluation framework using a systematic literature review on the four elements of IC. The evaluation framework constitutes a set of independent variables comprising thirteen components categorised under the four IC elements. Each component is defined by a set of indicators, and the proposition aims to find the relationship between these indicators and components of the IC and a dependent variable concerning the BBVC capability of SME architectural firms. The evaluation framework is used to guide the collection of fieldwork data, which involves a questionnaire survey and case study interviews with a sample of SME architectural firms in Nigeria. Using multiple regression analysis on the survey data enables an evaluation of the framework. Each component and its sets of indicators represent an independent model of regression. The outcome provides statistical evidence of the relationship between the two main variables; it also gives the Relative Weighting Value (RWV) for each indicator on the components it represents and their effects on the BBVC. The case study analysis, involving six SME architectural firms identified from the survey sample as they have relatively significant BIM capabilities, is used to triangulate the data with the survey results and provide the RWV for the components and the fours ICs. The case study analysis uses two approaches: firstly, through an exploratory study of the semi-structured interviews, which is based on themes from the 13 IC components and helps to identify the different indicators employed by firms during the BBVC. Secondly, the Eigenvector method is applied to analyse a pairwise comparison judgement where each of the components discussed in the interview is compared and their relative importance weighted. The outcome helps to establish the reliability and validity of the survey data and provide the RWV of the 13 components and four elements of the ICs. The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between the BBVC and the development of the ICs of SME architectural firms. This development occurs through fostering the motivation and capability of Human Capital, which is the most important aspect driving BBVC. The second ranked factor is the development of the support and capability of the Structure Capital, and the motivation and network resources resulting from the Relationship Capital. The least important aspect of the development is the resource management of the Knowledge Capital. The findings also involve the identification of the different RWV of each of the 13 components under the four Capitals, and the RWV of the various sets of indicators that define the 13 components. The findings enable the synthesis of a Strategic Business Model (SBM) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) concept. The SBM depicts the prioritisation of the IC elements, based on the following four levels; Indicator, Component, Capital and Organisation Goal. The SBM enables the practitioners to manage, prioritise and optimise their IC amidst limited resources through identification and evaluation of the focus area of development. Through a focus group with experts from the industry, the SBM is further validated practically on three criteria, namely; implementability, usefulness and generality. The feedback is used to refine the model and describe its practical implications

Real-time construction waste reduction using unmanned aerial vehicle

The paradigm shift towards waste reduction in the construction industry has produced revolutionary techniques in assessing and mitigating waste during the construction lifecycle. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology presents potentials in real-time construction waste management for informed decision-making processes for site managers. Due to the dynamic and complex construction work environment, material and equipment, labour and management policies are subjected to latent and identified hazards. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the real time impact of construction waste. UAV technology was adopted. UAV flight mission and deployment time were designed to meet target requirements and snapshot checklist. Data images were captured from an 11-storey residential building and analysed for conformity to construction waste and safety requirements. The prevalence of exposed material and equipment, low labour awareness, and need for policy shift to circular economy was predominant. Further studies can explore multiple construction monitoring and other category of construction works

African BIM Report 2020

While it may seem like the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) across Africa is slow-paced, the increasing advocacy efforts from various stakeholders is now resulting in a widespread drive for implementation and deployment. Coupled with the ongoing disruption by the global COVID-19 pandemic, there is now a very high degree of the utilization of digital technologies by construction professionals. As a first of its kind across the continent, the African BIM Report was conceived to provide a continuous review of the state of implementation of BIM by the industry. The report will progressively highlight exceptional projects, industry leaders and research experts across Africa. A pan-African survey will integrate the opinion from a wider range of professionals. As a dynamic, future-focused, and thriving community, BIM Africa is well-positioned to champion the digital transformation of the built industry across Africa. Our approach covers broad industry education, extensive research, professional development and certifications, quality networking and the formulation of locally adapted standards. Our Research and Development Committee comprises of a thriving portfolio of internationally certified and brilliant academic researchers of African descent; the coming together of bright minds to impact their motherland